


More Than a Guild

by GoldenSummerRose



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Timeline, As in someone appears and throws everything off from original canon, Death, Even if it's stupid because I promise you, F/M, I will still tag it, Magic, Seriously if there's something in here I see as normal that sets you off tell me, tell me if i need to tag anything else
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2018-12-05 14:07:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 98,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11579619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenSummerRose/pseuds/GoldenSummerRose
Summary: On a rainy day, an unknown young girl appears in the lives of the Fairy Tail guild, without any memories or even a reason as to why she's in Magnolia and on Fairy Tail's doorstep. With an unknown enemy after her, and her memories lost to unknown magic, it's up to Fiore's number 1 guild to find out who is Maddie Harneel, and where did she come from? More importantly, why are there people after her, and what do they want?





	1. The Girl in the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING! I wrote this first chapter 3 years ago, and all subsequent chapters are much better and much later! Anyway, this is anime world based and takes place after the Grand Magic Games. This is gonna be right before the first episode of the Eclipse arc, sop in this story it will have never happened.

In the town of Magnolia while it was raining heavily and very dark, a small girl with short blonde hair and light brown eyes, wearing brown rags and carrying a blue pouch walked around, looking exhausted and tired, but carefully clutching onto a small object. She came upon a very large building with the name FAIRY TAIL on it before closing her eyes and collapsing.

* * *

"So, tell me again why you had to come and get me? I would come in well on my own. You didn't have to get me." Lucy looked at Natsu and Happy, looking really annoyed because she had been woken up. At that time, the sky was completely covered, and it was raining very lightly. He just smiled at her.

"Well, I was really bored, and I thought that getting you would be fun! Not to mention, I want to get another job as soon as possible. It's been boring around Magnolia, but even when we take easy jobs, with you around, they're always interesting. Before you got here, they were just boring old jobs. Now, it's actually kinda fun to go on one." Happy nodded.

"Yeah! I'm hoping we can go somewhere we can get fish!" Lucy screamed. Happy gave her a weird look. "What? I always want fish!" Lucy shook her head and pointed.

"No, it's that!" Natsu and Happy, having confused faces, looked over, and Natsu shouted, his whole body expressing shock, with both his arms and one of his legs at 90º angles. Lucy ran up to what was in front of the guildhall, which was a little girl. She held the girl in her arms. "Hey! Hey! Are you alright?!" Natsu looked over Lucy's shoulder.

"What the hell is a kid doing here? She looks like she's Asca's age!" Lucy looked really worried.

"She's not waking up, and she's as cold as ice!" Natsu looked at the guildhall.

"People have been here for way longer than us, and she's completely soaked! It's a light rain, so she has to have been here for a while!" Happy nodded.

"We should get her inside." Natsu nodded, getting down and in position for Lucy to put the little girl on his back. "Put her up there Lucy!" She nodded.

"Okay." She lifted up the little girl and placed her on Natsu's back. He stood up and carried her in, shouting.

"How could you leave this little girl by herself outside?!" Everyone, who had been happily talking before, now started at Natsu. Mira looked very confused.

"Little girl? What are you-" then, she gasped, realizing that a little girl was, indeed, on his back. "Oh my God!" Then, she ran straight upstairs. "I'll go and get her a bed in the infirmary!" Elfman stood up, angry with himself.

"Not helping a kid that age when they're in trouble isn't manly at all! I'm ashamed!" Lisanna looked at him.

"Don't worry Big Brother Elf. I didn't see her either!" Cana stood up, looking away from her beer glass.

"Yeah. She wasn't there when I got here, so I don't know why you're yelling at us." Erza came over, shaking her head.

"No, she has to have been there for a while. The rain's been very light since I got here three hours ago, and she's soaked to the bone, so it couldn't have been recently. But how did no one notice her right in front of the guildhall? And how long has she been there for?" Gray nodded, his clothes missing.

"Yeah. I didn't see her either." Cana looked at him.

"Gray, your clothes." He shouted. Wendy came over and held her hands over her before shaking her head.

"I can't do anything for her. She isn't hurt or sick, at least not yet, but she will be in those clothes. I think she's just really tired, and I can't do anything for that." Mira came back.

"I've cleared off a bed in infirmary, and I found a hospital gown for her. Bring her in there." She looked at everyone else. "The rest of you should stay down here. We don't know what condition she'll be in when she wakes up. It's better that she be with as little people as possible, and since Natsu and Lucy found her, they're the only ones who get to be there with her. I'd say Happy too, but we don't know where she comes from, so something like a flying, talking cat could be a major shock to her, and it might scare her a lot." Macao nodded.

"That makes plenty of sense." Happy pouted.

"But I wanna be up there with her too!" Mira gave him a smile.

"Sorry Happy, but it's for her sake. Once she gets used to us, then we can have you around her." He sighed.

"Okay." Natsu nodded.

"Then let's go." Lucy nodded.

"Right." They both ran upstairs. Mira stopped Lucy on the way up. Lucy looked concerned.

"Is something going on?" Mira shook her head.

"No, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to look for clothes for her. She's in rags, and they're wet, but we don't have any kids in the guild, so we can't ask to borrow theirs. Try and keep Natsu from using his fire to dry her off. He could easily either burn her or just set the infirmary on fire, possibly both." Lucy nodded.

"Don't worry. I won't let him do something that stupid." She followed behind Natsu. Mira looked concern, then looked at Laki.

"Laki, you should come with me to help get her clothes. I'd ask Bisca, but her and Alzack aren't back from their job yet." Laki nodded.

"Of course!" They ran out of the guildhall. Erza had her hand on her chin.

"This is all very strange. A young girl shows up at the guildhall, has been here for a while, and yet no one saw her until Lucy, Natsu, and Happy got here. I should hate to think of a child so young as suspicious, but it's so easy to manipulate the mind of a child that young. She may not even realize what she's doing is wrong, if she's doing anything wrong." She then looked as if she had clearly made a resolve. "I'll just have to watch over her carefully then."

* * *

Natsu laid the little girl on the bed. She was then wearing a hospital gown that Lucy had put on her after having had changed her clothes for her. Natsu pulled the covers over her so that she could get warm. He then looked at Lucy as they both sat down next to her.

"Are you sure I can't use my fire? I'm sure it would help warm her up." Lucy glared at him.

"No, you can't! You might set her on fire!" He got really mad at that, his teeth sharp.

"I can control my flames!" He pouted. "I won't burn her." Lucy gave the girl a concerned looked.

"Yeah, maybe, but who knows what might happen if you do, even on accident? We don't know what she's been through. She could be completely traumatized, and getting burned by a complete stranger might make things even worse. Or, she could be totally weird and just wonder why she was here, and act as if it's the most normal thing on earth to be set on fire. We don't know, so we should refrain from doing anything." His pouting face turned into his normal face.

"I guess your right." He looked at the small pouch that she had been carrying, which was sitting on a nightstand on the left side of the bed, on the same side that Natsu and Lucy were sitting on. "I guess that means going through that pouch is out of the question too?" Lucy nodded.

"Yeah, it's a violation of privacy. When she wakes up, you can go through it with her permission. Until then, don't touch it." Then, the little girl made a noise. Natsu looked excited.

"She's waking up!" She scrunched up her eyes before slowly opening them. She sat up, looking around.

"Where am I?" She had a delicate voice, like that of a little fairy. Lucy gave her a concerned look.

"You're in the Fairy Tail guildhall. Are you alright? You were collapsed outside." She looked at Lucy, nodding.

"Yeah. Who are you?" She smiled, pointing at herself.

"I'm Lucy. I'm the one who found you outside." Natsu nodded.

"And I'm Natsu. I was the one that carried you in. What's your name kid?" She seemed to not understand that.

"My name?" Lucy nodded.

"Yeah. What's your name?" She looked down and had a look on her face that showed how hard she was concentrating.

"I think I'm, I'm Maddie. Maddie Harneel." Lucy smiled.

"Nice to meet you Maddie." Natsu nodded.

"Same here. Do you remember anything?" She shook her head.

"Only my name. I don't remember anything else." Lucy's heart went out to her.

"Poor thing. You don't remember your mother or father?" She shook her head.

"No." Lucy grabbed her, bringing her into a hug.

"You poor thing! It's must be so horrible not remembering anything about your past other than your name! Don't worry. The guild will accept you, no matter what!" Natsu raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'd be just fine with that, but we don't even know if she uses magic or not. If she doesn't use magic, then we really can't do anything for her." Lucy glared at him, still holding Maddie close to herself, and making it hard for her to breathe.

"Even if she doesn't use magic, then I'm willing to let her stay with me until we can find her parents. I mean, somebody has to have reported her missing!" Maddie's face was turning blue. Natsu looked at her.

"Hey Luce, you might wanna let go of her, before she stops breathing." Lucy looked down in surprise and then suddenly let go of Maddie, realizing that she had been suffocating the poor girl.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" She nodded lightly, her eyes spirals as her head bobbed around.

"It's alright." There was a knock on the door.

"Hello? It's me. I'm here to see this girl who came here." Lucy nodded.

"You can come in Master Makarov." The door opened, and Master Makarov walked in.

"I understand that we may have a young girl here who was outside without anyone noticing her." He smiled at the girl. "Pleased to meet you. I am Master Makarov, master of the Fairy Tail Guild." She smiled at him.

"Nice to meet you too sir. I'm Maddie Harneel." He smiled.

"You have very good manners. Your parents taught you well." He looked up and down, focusing on a certain part of her, before looking at the pouch on the nightstand, and then looking at her in the face. "I think I may have an idea as to why no one saw you. Would you please open up your hand? It's clenched very tightly." Her eyes widened suddenly.

"It is?" She looked down and held up her left hand, opening it up, showing a clear coin of some sort. Lucy's eyes widened.

"Maddie, what is that?" Maddie looked very confused.

"I have no idea." Master Makarov nodded.

"It's just as I thought. There's only one kind of magic that would last that long and have almost no magical presence. In fact, you'd have to be searching for it to get the faintest hint of its presence. Although, using this particular item is no minor feat." Natsu started blowing steam from his ears.

"Spit it out Gramps! What is it?!" Master Makarov turned towards Natsu.

"This is a magic called Token Magic. Tokens used in Token Magic either have an emblem on them or their color represents what they are. They are extremely powerful and very hard to master and use. There are also three different types, Weapon, Creature, and Ability Tokens. Weapon Tokens, as their name implies, gives her a weapon that she can use anyway she needs. Creature Tokens release a creature sealed inside of the Token, or it turns the token into a magical construct of the creature it names. The person who releases a Creature Token has complete and total control of it. Lastly, Ability Tokens give its user certain abilities, like the name says. They can control fire, fly, move things with their mind, anything, but these use far more magic than any other type of Token." He smiled at Maddie. "You must have incredible magical abilities to be able to use something like Token Magic at such a young age." Maddie's eyes widened.

"I-I do?" Master Makarov nodded.

"Yes, you do." He held up the Token. "This particular Token is an Ability Token for invisibility. That's why it's clear." He looked at the pouch on the table. "I'm assuming that that pouch is also filled with Tokens." Maddie looked at it sadly, as if she was disappointed that she had no clue.

"I have no idea." She grabbed the pouch and opened it up, looking inside. She pulled one out, a red one with a flame emblem on it, and then held it out for Master Makarov to see. "Is this another one of those?" He nodded.

"Yes. So, if you have these Tokens, you must be a wizard. Did you come to join our guild?" She looked down sadly.

"I have no idea. I don't remember anything about myself but my name." Master Makarov nodded.

"I see. And you have no idea who your parents are?" She shook her head.

"No, not at all." He nodded.

"I see. So, you're a wizard, but you don't know why you're here, or where you come from?" Maddie nodded.

"Yeah." Lucy had a sympathetic look on her face.

"I told her that she could stay with me until we could find her parents. I've got plenty of room where I live." Master Makarov nodded.

"That's fine, but what I'm wondering is why did you use the Invisibility Token?" Maddie shrugged.

"I don't know. I feel like I had a reason, but I can't remember what that reason is." He nodded.

"I see." He held his hand over her head, and his palm glowed with a golden light. The same golden light replaced her irises. Makarov was shocked, but then put his hand down, with it no longer glowing. Her eyes returned to normal. "Amazing." Lucy looked really curious.

"What is it Master?" He turned to her.

"Perhaps it's best that we talk about this outside with the both of you." He looked at Maddie. "Would you be so kind as to stay in here?" Maddie nodded.

"Okay Mr. Makarov." They walked out of the rooms. Natsu folded his arms over his chest.

"So, what's up Gramps?" He had a serious look on his face.

"Her memory really is a complete blank. Unlike Kinana, where she simply couldn't remember, but the memories were still present, just inaccessible, Maddie just doesn't have the memory at all, other than her name. She must've lost them. Either that, or someone stole her memories. It's one or the other. But the fact that this all happened at once doesn't sit well with me. There's something up with that girl." Lucy's eyes widened in shock.

"You can't mean that! She's a little girl!" Master Makarov gave her a sideways glance.

"She may be innocent, but she might be in a situation where she's being used and is completely clueless about it. Just think about what happened with the Infinity Clock." Lucy stopped, realizing Master Makarov was right. "All of this is happening very fast. You already seem to have some sort of emotional attachment to her, and you've just met her. It's not natural for that to happen. However," he looked her straight in the face, "I do want you to take care of her. She might be in trouble, but she might be against us. Either way, I will be far more comfortable with her being with a Fairy Tail member, but I'm not comfortable with her being at Fairy Hills, since the location is a secret, and if she should try anything in her sleep, your Celestial Spirits will protect you because they can sense when you're in danger." Lucy nodded.

"Understood." Erza, from the staircase and pressed up against a wall, listened in.

"This is going far too fast. I'm not comfortable with leaving Lucy on her own. Master Makarov would never readily leave a stranger with no background or even memories with one of our more, not weak, but vulnerable members. She can't do anything without her Gate Keys, and if this girl figures that out and turns out to be our enemy, then Lucy could be in big trouble." Then, Master Makarov started heading down the stairs. Erza tried to run back down them as fast as she could, but Master Makarov's stretched out arm and hand stopped her.

"Lucy and Natsu went back into the room. You were listening in, weren't you Erza?" She looked ashamed.

"I'm sorry Master. I know that I shouldn't have, but the circumstances surrounding all of this is far too suspicious. None of it sits well with me. I would want to help her like how everyone else here wants to help her, but the fact that she's been there for a long time without anyone, even me noticing, but just happens to show up when Lucy and Natsu get here, and she just happens to have no memory, and she also just happens to be a wizard with advanced skills. It's all very suspicious, and I can't help but think of the safety of our members." Makarov's hand and arm went back to normal. He nodded.

"Yes, I feel the same. But I believe that placing her with Lucy is the best option. If she is here to take down Fairy Tail, then I believe Lucy will be able to change her mind. And even if, her Celestial Spirits have a way of coming exactly when they're needed, even if Lucy doesn't have access to her keys. You are to stay out of this matter Erza. I've assessed the situation myself, and I've deemed Lucy able to handle this." Erza nodded.

"I understand Master." He nodded and walked past her.

"Take care of yourself, and don't worry about her. I have a feeling that she'll be a very important part of all of our lives in a good way." With that, he was gone. Erza still felt suspicious.

"Even with the Master's words, I can't get rid of my suspicions. I'll leave the situation alone for the time being, but if she gives me even the slightest reason to think she's our enemy, I won't hesitate to act."

* * *

Lucy explained the arrangements for Maddie.

"And since my apartment's so big anyway, I can make one of the spare rooms into a bedroom for you. How's that sound?" Maddie smiled.

"I'd love it!" She had a shy look on her face. "But, I was wondering, could Mister Natsu stay with us?" Lucy and Natsu were both shocked by that.

"WHAT?!" Maddie seemed a bit embarrassed by asking that.

"I don't know why, but I feel like it would be better if we were all together. Can't explain it though." Lucy gave her a smile.

"I think I know why. Me and Natsu were the people who found you, and the first people you met when you woke up. You're going to be the most comfortable around the both of us. It makes total sense." Then, she got an annoyed look on her face. "But, I don't think I can handle Natsu being with me 24/7." Maddie's eyes got really big as she pouted.

"Please Miss Lucy? Please?!" Her pouting lips and her big, sad eyes made it impossible for Lucy to say no. She sighed.

"Okay, fine. Natsu can stay with us too." He smiled, excited.

"Really?! You never let me stay over! Okay, but only if Happy gets to come." Lucy deadpanned at that.

"I'm not sure if I can handle that rude cat in my house all the time." Maddie looked confused.

"Happy? Cat?" Natsu smiled at her.

"Happy's my flying talking cat! Well, he's actually something called an Exceed, but that's a long story." Maddie looked curious.

"I've never heard of an Exceed before, but then again, it might be because of my memory loss." Lucy smiled.

"Well, it's a long story to explain, and there's a lot that happened before that which would need to be explained before anything else, and some stuff that happened after." Maddie looked excited.

"Can I hear the stories?! Please!" Lucy smiled.

"I don't mind." She looked at Natsu. "Do you?" He shook his head.

"Not really." Lucy looked back at Maddie, smiling.

"Okay then. I guess, the best place to start would be when we met. It all began in a port city called Hargeon."

A Lot of Stories Later

Maddie smiled; amazed at the stories she'd been told.

"Wow! You guys are amazing! And so is everyone else! But I definitely like the magic you guys use the best!" Lucy blushed.

"Aw, you don't have to say things just to be nice." Maddie's eyes were showing that she was telling the truth.

"I mean it! Your bond with your Celestial Spirits is amazing! But, there's a lot of stuff I don't understand too." Lucy nodded.

"Well, yeah, that's probably because there were parts that we weren't there for." Maddie looked excited.

"I hope I can hear the rest soon!" Lucy looked at the door.

"Well, I think everyone's here, so I don't see why you couldn't just come downstairs and hear everything else from everyone." Maddie's smile only got bigger.

"Really?! I'd love to meet everyone!" So, they made their way downstairs. Maddie met everyone and they told her the stories of their adventures. Erza didn't seem too happy about that, but told her parts of the story where they were needed. Mira and Laki came back with clothes for Maddie and she put one of the outfits on, wearing a pink t-shirt, a white skirt with a black belt, and black sandals. Maddie attached the pouch of Tokens to her side, and Mira shared her parts of the story. Of course, parts of the story from the perspectives of people such as Laxus and Gajeel were left out, mainly because the two of them couldn't care less and didn't feel like wasting energy telling the story. Since Pantherlily was there, he filled in on some of the parts that Gajeel didn't elaborate on, although he was unable to do that for everything. Of course, at some point, two people's memories of the story contradicted, which was between Gray and Natsu, and a fight broke out. Of course, the first thing Lucy did was cover Maddie, afraid of the poor girl getting hurt and yelling at the two responsible for starting the fight. Gajeel scoffed at the whole thing.

"Geez, these people are idiots." He stood up. "Let's get out of here Lily." Lily looked at the brawl.

"I guess your right. There's no point in trying to stop the fighting." They headed out, but not before Gajeel looked at Maddie, who was still cowering behind Lucy.

_"That girl smells familiar, but I can't put my finger on where I smelled something like that before."_

"Gajeel?" Pantherlily looked back at him. "It was your idea to leave in the first place." Gajeel nodded.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" He left with the Exceed.  _"I'll figure it out sooner or later. Besides, she doesn't smell dangerous, so I'm not really all that concerned."_

* * *

Lucy, Maddie, Natsu, and Happy were all heading towards her house. She turned to Natsu and Happy.

"Are you guys sure that you don't need to grab anything from your house tonight?" Natsu nodded.

"Yeah. We'll be fine. Anything that we do need, we can get in the morning." Happy nodded.

"Yeah." Lucy nodded.

"Okay then." She came to her apartment and was about to unlock the door, but noticed something. "What?" Natsu looked curious.

"What is it?" Maddie looked up at her.

"Something wrong Miss Lucy?" She pushed the door, and it opened.

"I know I locked my door this morning. I do that every morning. So that means someone was in here." She opened the door fully and screamed. "MY APARTMENT!"

The entire place had been ransacked. There were papers, tableware, picture frames, and various other things everywhere. Natsu automatically put up an offensive disposition as he entered the building.

"There's a weird smell in there that I don't recognize. The only thing I can really say is that it's a guy." Maddie was in shock.

"Who would do something like this?" Lucy started picking up her stuff, putting it away.

"I have no idea! I'm gonna clean up and see if there's anything missing. Natsu, Happy, don't leave Maddie's side. Just take her upstairs and get her ready for bed, okay?" Natsu nodded.

"Right." Happy saluted.

"Aye sir!" Maddie went over to her.

"Are you sure? I can help you clean up." She smiled at the girl as she picked up some papers.

"I'm fine, Besides, I'm the only one who knows everything that's supposed to be here, so I'll notice if something's missing. Just go get a path and change into those PJ's that Mira got you." Maddie nodded.

"Okay." Natsu then took Maddie upstairs to get ready for bed. Lucy kept picking up things, surprised at the fact that nothing was missing.

"Why isn't anything missing? Then again, most of my expensive stuff is in my room. But they didn't take the tea set, and that was a really expensive heirloom from my mother. If nothing's missing in my room, then that'll confirm my thoughts." She then finished cleaning up the downstairs area and went to her bedroom. The room was empty, so she assumed Natsu was currently giving her a bath, and since Maddie was only 5 at the most, she didn't particularly care. She started picking everything up and put it away where it belonged. She noticed that all of the expensive jewelry pieces that she had gotten from her mother were all still there, as well as everything else. "That confirms my theory. I wasn't robbed. Someone was looking for something." Then, everyone came out of the bathroom, everyone in towels. Because of Maddie's size, the towel around her was wrapped around a couple of times and it dragged on the ground, so she had to hold it up to walk. Natsu wore one around his waist, and Happy actually wore a washcloth as a towel. Natsu smiled.

"Your bath is great!" Lucy kicked him in the face.

"What do you think you're doing?! Why did you take a bath with her?!" Maddie grabbed Lucy's arm.

"Please, I really didn't mind!" Happy nodded.

"Yeah, and he wore a towel the entire time." Lucy crossed her arms.

"Well, next time, don't jump in the bath with her! If you want to take a bath with anyone, take a bath with Happy." Happy flew up to her, still in his towel.

"But I took a bath with them too." Veins popped up on her forehead.

"I meant as in just the two of you." She grabbed some PJ's from her dresser and headed towards the bathroom. "Whatever. You guys come in here, you die, got that?" Before getting a response, she closed the door and sighed. "Why did I agree to letting them stay here? Oh well. Might as well enjoy my alone time while I can." She got in the bath and started thinking about the sleeping arrangements. "I was gonna have Maddie sleep in the guest bedroom, but since Natsu and Happy are here, I guess I should move those two into the guest bedroom, and then Maddie and I can just share a bed. After all, she is a little girl, so it's not like it's gonna be a tight squeeze." Her mind went back to the apartment being searched. "But I wonder, who was here, and what were they looking for?" she stood up, getting dressed. "Well, I don't think they're gonna come back, and if they do, I'm sure Natsu will wake up, but just in case, I'm gonna sleep with my keys." She walked out, and was surprised to find no one in her room. "Did he decide to share his bed with her for tonight too? Well, I guess I can just explain the sleeping arrangements tomorrow morning." She went over to her bed, only to find everyone sleeping in it. Normally, she would've kicked Natsu and happy out of the bed, but Maddie was sleeping too, and she didn't want to wake her up. So, she sucked it up, turned off the lights, and tried to fit herself into the tight squeeze of the bed.

* * *

Outside, there was a man in a dark cloak with a hood, looking at Lucy's apartment.

"I should've cleaned up. It's too soon to truly act though. For now, I will have to sit patiently, and let things take their course. But soon, I will be able to make my move, and when I do, I will have what I require." With that, he disappeared.


	2. Welcome to Fairy Tail!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maddie officially joins Fairy Tail, and sets out on an easy job with Natsu, Lucy, and Happy. How many different ways could this go wrong? Or could this job actually go right for a change?

Maddie was eating with Natsu, Lucy, and happy at Lucy's dinner table in her dining room. She had been with them for a few days, and had gotten used to Fairy Tail. Natsu, of course, was pigging out and sending food flying, while Happy munched on a fish and Lucy tried to ignore the both of them. Maddie looked at the food on her plate before looking up at Lucy.

"Lucy, I think I wanna join Fairy Tail." Lucy smiled, very happy.

"That's great! I think you'll love being in a guild." Natsu, who was now paying attention, started talking with food in his mouth.

"Yeah, but do you know how to use your magic? You have that whole memory loss problem." Happy nodded.

"That's right! I don't think I've seen you use it yet." Maddie looked down at her belt, which had her pouch attached to it. She pulled out her Invisibility Token.

"I'm pretty sure I can use my magic. I'd have to test it out, but I was able to use the Invisibility Token for whatever reason." Lucy nodded.

"I'm not surprised. Magic isn't something you think about. You feel it. Tomorrow, you can become an official member of the guild!" Maddie smiled.

"Alright!"

* * *

They all walked towards the guildhall, with Maddie being really excited. While Natsu and Maddie wore their normal outfits, Lucy wore the same outfit that she had worn on her first official mission with Natsu, that being the pink spaghetti strap top and the black skirt with her usual hair style, not the maid outfit with her hair in two higher up pigtails. With that being said, Maddie was skipping towards the guildhall rather than walking like Natsu and Lucy (while happy, of course, was flying).

"I can't wait to become an official member!" Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, and maybe we can go on a job together!" Lucy nearly bit his head off.

"What's wrong with you?! You destroy nearly everything around whenever we go on a job! You think I want Maddie getting hurt?!" Maddie smiled at Lucy.

"I think it'd be really fun to go on a job with Natsu." Natsu smiled.

"See, Maddie knows what's fun! Come on, it'll be good experience for her!" Maddie grabbed Lucy's hand.

"Please Lucy?" Her big hazel eyes made it really hard for Lucy to deny it to her.

"Okay then, fine. Once Maddie gets her guild mark, we'll go on a job. My rent's due soon anyway." Maddie cheered, jumping up.

"Yay! Thank you Lucy!" Natsu was equally excited, acting the exact same as Maddie.

"Yeah!" Lucy glared at him.

"Don't act like a little kid!" Maddie started pulling on Lucy and Natsu's hands.

"Come on, let's go!" With that, she ran off to the guildhall, ecstatic about becoming a member of Fairy Tail. Lucy smiled like a proud mother, then turned towards Natsu.

"We'd better catch up. We don't wanna miss Maddie getting her guild mark. Huh?" It was as if an outline of Natsu were there, rather than Natsu himself. "Where'd he go?" Happy pointed up ahead.

"He's up there." Natsu was running like crazy.

"WAIT FOR ME MADDIE!" Lucy got even madder at that.

"Don't take off like that! Set a good example for her!" Then, both her and Happy ran after the two.

* * *

Maddie entered the guildhall, really happy. The first person she saw was Erza, even though she was all the way at the bar, eating some cake (way too early in the day), so she went up to her.

"Hi Miss Erza! Do you know where Miss Mirajane is?" Erza smiled at her. While she was still highly suspicious of the girl, she knew it would do no good to let her know that.

"Oh, and why would you be looking for Mira?" She beamed at her.

"I'm gonna become an official member of Fairy Tail!" Erza seemed a bit shocked, but easily hid it.

"Are you sure that's in your best interest? You  _are_  very young. Perhaps you should wait a year or two." She shook her head, stubbornness evident in her face.

"Natsu and Lucy promised to take me on a job with them as soon as I have my guild mark! I really wanna go on a job with them!" Erza was now even more worried than before, but she smiled as if she weren't worried.

"Really? Perhaps I should accompany you as well."

"Erza." Erza's face paled at the voice. She turned around to see Master Makarov. "You aren't trying to insert yourself into Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and Maddie's jobs, are you?" She shook her head.

"No sir." He smiled.

"Good." He walked over to Maddie. "If you want to become an official member of Fairy Tail, I can do that. Normally, it  _would_  be Mira, but unfortunately, her and Lisanna have colds, and Elfman is taking care of them."

* * *

Mira and Lisanna were both wrapped up in blankets while sitting at a small table, both of them with bowls of hot soup in front of them. Elfman was wearing an apron, and cooking.

"Taking care of sick people is manly!"

* * *

"So, for now, I'll do it. Just let me get behind the bar and get the guild stamp." He went over to the bar and looked for it. "Confound it Mira! Where did you put it?! It has to be here somewhere!" Natsu ran through the doors and right up to Maddie.

"You didn't get it yet, did you?!" She shook her head.

"No, not yet." He smiled, extremely happy with himself.

"Great!" Then, he thought of something. "So, where are you gonna put it?" She lifted up her t-shirt sleeve and pointed at her right shoulder.

"I'm gonna get it in pink and put it right here!" Lucy and Happy got in the guildhall right then. Lucy looked excited, noticing no Mira around to stamp Maddie.

"I'm glad I didn't miss it!" Happy nodded.

"Aye! I'd hate to miss it too!" Master Makarov shouted.

"FOUND IT!" He jumped up and onto the bar, holding the stamp up. "Why Mira put it inside the cash box, I have no idea. Where do you want it Maddie?" she pointed in the same spot as before.

"Right here, in pink!" Master Makarov complied with her wish and placed it there. "There, now you're a Fairy Tail wizard. Granted, there is some paper work involved, but seeing as to you have no recollection of your past and due to your age, I'm sure no one would care about missing details. That being said, I could probably fill it out myself in no time." Maddie smiled at Makarov.

"Thank you Master Makarov!" Natsu went over to the request board.

"Great, let's pick a job! Oh, beating up some bandits for 200,000 jewels? That's easy!" Lucy yelled at him.

"We're  ** _not_**  taking Maddie bandit hunting on her first mission! I'm picking, thank you!" She turned towards the board herself. "Hm, well, let's go with this one. It's party entertainment for 400,000 jewels. The party goes late, but I'm fine with letting her sleep in for a few days to catch up on sleep. Sound good?" Natsu had his arms folded over his chest, pouting.

"But I don't get to beat anyone up." Lucy nodded, frustrated.

"That's the point. I don't want to put Maddie into any danger, and it looks like it's being thrown by a bunch of rich people, so they probably have their own security team already, so we won't have to worry about that." Maddie smiled.

"I think it'd be fun. I'd love to go!" Lucy smiled, pulling the job request off the board.

"Alight then, we'll take this one!" Natsu was still pouting.

"I still think we should take the bandit job." Lucy thought of something.

"If you quit complaining, I'll give you a copy of my house key." Natsu's ears perked up at that.

"Did you say a copy of your house key?" She nodded.

"Yep!" Outside, she was smiling, but internally, she was screaming at herself.  _"What am I thinking?! He'll never leave me alone if I give him one! Not to mention, he might lose it and then someone else might get their hands on it! I AM SO STUPID!"_  Natsu grabbed Lucy and Maddie's hands, hurrying out.

"Let's go!" Happy followed after them quickly.

"Aye sir!"

* * *

Natsu was pale, his motion sickness evident in his everything. That wasn't surprising. What was surprising was Maddie sitting next to Lucy, equally affected by the train ride, as seen in her face and stance. Actually, her head was in Lucy's lap as she stroked the poor girl's head.

"I didn't know you got motion sickness too Maddie." Happy nodded, sitting next to Natsu and munching on a fish.

"Everyone I know who gets motion sick is a Dragon Slayer, but Maddie isn't. Lucy nodded.

"Well, yeah. There are plenty of people who get motion sick that aren't Dragon Slayers. I guess Maddie's just one of them." Said girl moaned in discomfort.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Lucy looked out the window.

"If only Wendy were here. Troia doesn't work on Natsu anymore, but it really would've helped Maddie out." Happy nodded.

"Yeah, it's better to deal with just one motion sick person rather than two. But at least we know that Maddie has it too, so we can keep that in mind." Then, Lucy thought of something.

"Wait! Mind! Motion sickness has something to do with you not being able to keep your balance, and it messes with your brain, and you start to feel sick! If Maddie's asleep, then she probably wouldn't be sick." Happy looked at her curiously.

"And how are you gonna do that? You can't use sleep magic like Mira and Cana, and I don't think any of your spirits would work." Lucy nodded.

"Yeah, I know that. Well, maybe Lyra could, but I can't summon her right now. However, I can sing a lullaby. Hopefully, it'll put her to sleep." Happy looked skeptical.

"Can you even sing?" Lucy shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I've never really sung before, but my mother sang a lullaby when she put me to bed every night. I remember every word of it. Maybe that one will work." She cleared her throat and started singing.

 _"Sleep, baby, sleep,_  
_Thy father guards the sheep,_  
_Thy mother shakes the little trees,_  
_There falls down one little dream._

_"Sleep, baby, sleep!_

_Sleep, baby, sleep,  
_

" _The sky draws the sheep,_  
_The little stars are the little lambs,_  
 _The moon, that is the little shepherd._

" _Sleep, baby, sleep!_

_Sleep, baby, sleep,  
_

" _I shall give you a sheep_  
With one fine golden bell,  
That shall be thy journeyman,  
Sleep, baby, sleep!"

Lucy was a surprisingly good singer. With that lullaby, not only was Maddie asleep, but so were Natsu and Happy. Lucy was surprised.

"I just needed to sing to put Natsu and Happy to sleep? If I had known that sooner, I could've saved myself a lot of grief! I wonder if it'll work on Gray and Erza." She looked at all of them, their faces looking so innocent as they slept. Lucy smiled. "They look so harmless when they're asleep. If only that were the case for Natsu." Maddie rolled over in Lucy's lap, clutching her shirt. Lucy smiled, but then was surprised to hear what came out of her mouth.

"Mommy." Her surprise was quickly followed by her trying to think of what Maddie was dreaming about.

"Mommy? Is Maddie remembering her past? Then again, what she remembers in her dreams isn't always going to be what she remembers when she wakes up. If she remembers, then hopefully she can be reunited with her family." Lucy smiled at the thought of Maddie being happy with her real parents, whoever they were.

* * *

The group stood in front of a rather large mansion, with a giant wall around the estate and a single gate that they were standing in front of. Lucy looked up at a floating Lacrima and spoke up to them.

"Um, hello? We're the wizards from Fairy Tail who accepted that job request for entertainment at your party tonight!" A voice came from the Lacrima.

"I see the guild marks of you and the pink haired boy, but can you please show the marks of the Exceed and the little girl?" Maddie lifted up her sleeve, and Happy turned around, taking off his pack to show his green guild mark on his back. The gate swung open, and they walked through. Not far up ahead were two people, one a brown haired a blue-eyed maid scarily resembling Virgo, and a butler wearing a black suit with long coat tails and a white shirt underneath with a black tie. The maid bowed down.

"Welcome to the Mindara Estate. I am the head maid, Gina." The butler did the same.

"Likewise, I am the head butler, Sebastian. We're sorry to inform you that, at the exact same time as you accepted the request, another guild did as well. Gina accepted your request, and I accepted another."

"Do we have to go home," asked Maddie with large, sad eyes.

"Oh no no," said Gina with a nervous wave of her hands, "nothing like that. See, it's two rather well known guilds and the master of the house wants both of you to work the party, so it works out for the best in the end! You'll both still get your full reward."

"Sounds good to me," said Natsu. "Who's the other guild?"

"Yo Natsu," said a familiar voice from behind Sebastian, "it's been a long time." They all looked up in surprise, with Natsu breaking into a smile.

"Rogue, Yukino," he said happily as he shoved Gina and Sebastian out of the way to greet the two Sabertooth members, "it's been a long time!"

"Still reckless as ever I see," said Yukino with a sigh before noticing Maddie, who was looking up at the two of them in curiosity. "Oh, who's this? I've never met her before." She smiled at the young girl. "Hi, I'm Yukino."

"This is Maddie," said Lucy with a smile, gently putting her arm on Maddie's back. "She's our newest Fairy Tail member."

"Nice to meet you," said Rogue with a smile. "I'll admit, I've never seen anyone so young in a guild before."

"You should've seen Fairy Tail when I joined," said Natsu with a smile. Maddie stared up at the two Sabertooth wizards, mostly looking at Rogue's dark appearance. Within seconds, she was hiding behind Lucy's legs.

"He's scary," she said softly. Lucy gently pat her head.

"Don't worry," she said with a smile, "that's just Rogue Cheney. He's a wizard in a guild just like use, in Sabertooth. And that's Yukino, and she's a Celestial Spirit wizard just like me." Yukino smiled and gave a wave. "They're our friends, you can trust them."

"Fro is here too," said Frosch as he came out from behind Rogue. Maddie noticed the Exceed and stared at it for several seconds before grabbing the cat and hugging them.

"Such a cute little froggy," Maddie said excitedly. "Oh you're so cute!"

"Fro thinks so too," Frosch replied as Rogue laughed.

"She seems to like Frosch," he replied as he looked back up at Natsu. "How have you been though? It's been a while since we last saw you. Not since the Grand Magic Games I think."

"We've been good," he replied with a bright smile. "We've been getting a lot of good jobs since we won the Grand Magic Games, even more because of the whole dragons incident."

"I'm set for rent for the next three months," said Lucy with a triumphant look. "Oh that reminds me, if this situation is long term I'm gonna have to notify my landlady."

"This is nice and all," said Sebastian, "but could you please move into the house and discuss plans for the party with the master?"

"Oh yeah of course," said Lucy. "Sorry."

* * *

The group of 7 sat across from a well dressed man with a kind smile on his face. Maddie sat between Lucy and Natsu, with Happy on Natsu's other side, and Yukino and Rogue next to Lucy while Frosch sat on Rogue's lap.

"Good to meet all of you," said the kind man. "My name is Eugene Mindara. I assume you're all here to take the job for tonight's party?" They all nodded. "Good. This will be an excellent party. I see that we have two Exceeds, two Celestial wizards, and two Dragon Slayers. What an interesting set of pairs." His eyes rested on Maddie. "And what kind of magic do you use young one?" Maddie smiled and held out her bag.

"I use Token Magic," she declared proudly.

"Isn't that a high level kind of magic," asked Rogue.

"Very," replied Yukino with some concern. "And it's rare now. It uses up so much magic power that most wouldn't dare learn it." Rogue frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

 _"What is a little girl doing with such powerful magic,"_  he thought to himself,  _"and why does she smell so familiar?"_

"I'm sure it can be put to great use," said Eugene before he turned his focus on Lucy. "It's good to see you've grown up into a lovely woman, Lucky Lucy."

"I'm sorry," said Lucy with a confused face, "but have we met before?"

"Only when you were little," he replied with a smile. "I haven't seen you since your mother was alive, but that was almost 15 years ago. Back then you were an adorable young child. But unfortunately, your mother's passing caused your father to make some rash decisions. He cut off our relationship, and well, Mindara Steel lost a lot of money that day. But regardless, I see you've grown into a beautiful young woman. You look just like your mother."

"Oh, I don't think so," she said shyly. "My mother was incredibly beautiful."

 _"Now she's humble,"_  deadpanned Natsu and Happy internally.

"Don't be so modest," Eugene replied. "I'm just glad to have someone I know working this party. Now, it's an engagement party for my daughter Elizabeth. You know, back when you two were children you were the same age, but after what happened on Tenrou Island I believe she's quite a bit older than you."

"Elizabeth," asked Lucy in shock. "Oh I remember her! She and I used to play together when we were little. But then one day she just stopped coming. Guess I know why now."

"Yes, but you two have plenty of time to catch up," said Eugene. "I would like to discuss the details of tomorrow night's party. Fore the most part, your part will last for a full hour. You can make it work however you want, and you have a full day plus most of the evening to think about it. Your act will close out the party. I really only have one request, that at the end of the night, you all work together to bring forth a proclamation above the crowd, with their names and hearts floating in the sky. Beyond that, I have no real care for what you do as long as it is elegant and coordinated."

"I think we can do that," Rogue replied. "After all, we've worked well together in the past. Our magic all compliments each other, so it should work out well."

"I haven't really had a chance to practice my magic," said Maddie nervously, "but I'll do my best." Natsu smiled and rubbed the top of her head.

"You'll do great," he replied. "After all, you're a Fairy Tail wizard now, and you have us helping you." She smiled and nodded once, making a noise in agreement.

"I'm sure you'll all do very well," said Eugene. "For now, I have quarters prepared for everyone, seven guest rooms set up."

"One for everyone," asked Yukino. "You must have a lot of spare rooms!"

"Oh yes," he said, "my wife always wanted a big house with more space than she knew what to do with. She was actually a rather poor woman growing up. She felt at ease in the house since it gave her a sense of comfort. As if telling herself she'd never be poor again."

"I see," said Lucy. "How romantic."

"Um," said Maddie softly, "can I room with Lucy or Natsu please? I… don't wanna room by myself."

"I see no problem with it," said Eugene. "I would prefer if you room with Lucy though."

"Well I wanna room with Natsu," said Happy. "We always room together!"

"Fro wants to room with Rogue," said Frosch from Rogue's lap.

"That can be arranged as well," Eugene replied. "The boys will all be in the East Wing and the ladies will be in the west." Two maids came into the room. "Allow them to show you to your rooms, and please come up with something great. I want this night to be perfect for her."

"We'll do our very best Mr. Mindara," said Yukino as she stood up. "And thank you for the hospitality."

"This way please ladies," said one of the maids.

"Please come with me gentlemen," said the other. The two groups got up and went with their separate maids.

* * *

"Wow," said Maddie in amazement as she dashed around the room, looking at the paintings and the fancy wardrobe and the all around elegance of the room. "This is more than I've ever seen in one room in my whole life!" Lucy smiled as the little girl moved around the room.

"Well, I guess I'm not that impressed since I grew up with it," she said as she sat down on the bed, "but I guess it's cool to someone who hasn't had much. But we don't really know who your parents are, so maybe you are this rich and just don't remember it."

"I doubt it," she replied. "I don't think I'd have gotten lost for so long if my parents were rich."

"That's true," Lucy replied, looking down sadly.  _"Then again, my own father didn't even look for me until a year later when he wanted me to get married to improve the family business. I hope Maddie's father isn't as heartless as mine."_  She smiled, looking out the window.  _"Then again, things worked out in the end. I'm glad I had the chance to reconnect with my dad and get to see him the way he was before he was so heartless. I wish I had gotten to know him better."_

"Are you thinking about something Lucy," asked Maddie, interrupting Lucy's thoughts.

"Oh, it's nothing," she replied with a wave of her hand as Maddie yawned. "Just thinking about some things. Hey are you tired?"

"No," said Maddie, rubbing her eyes. "I'm not sleepy at all."

"You're still a little girl," said Lucy with a smile, getting off the bed. "It's okay to take naps. You're still growing."

"But I'm a big girl," she replied. "I don't need naps." Lucy rolled her eyes with a smile and put her in the bed, tucking her in.

"Come on, I won't be mad. We have a long time to talk about what we're gonna do. Now get some rest."

"Okay," Maddie said softly as her eyes closed. "Good night Lucy."

"Night Maddie." Maddie closed her eyes, and in seconds was asleep. Lucy smiled and gently rubbed the top of her head. "You're so young and innocent. I can't even imagine that you could be a part of some scheme. No matter what Master Makarov says, I think you're innocent. I know you're good." She looked up when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in." The door opened and Yukino came in with a smile.

"I thought we should talk about our act," she said, but then quieted down when she saw Maddie asleep. "Oh sorry, I didn't know she was sleeping!"

"It's alright," said Lucy with a smile, looking down at Maddie, "she's a real heavy sleeper, just like Natsu."

"She's adorable," Yukino replied, sitting on the other side of Maddie. "You know, you seem to act kind of motherly towards her."

"Well she has been staying with me," Lucy explained. "She doesn't have anyone else to take care of her, so I guess I've taken on that role." She frowned. "Although we know nothing about her. She's like a blank slate."

"How did she join," Yukino asked.

"We found her outside the guild hall," Lucy responded. "She was using her magic to stay invisible for some reason but we don't know why. Not even her. Natsu and I have been taking care of her since. It's been about a week and she hasn't remembered a thing yet."

"I'm sure she'll recover," Yukino encouraged. "You know, she looks a little like you! Just a bit though."

"Really," Lucy asked. "I don't think we look alike at all aside from our hair. I kinda wanted to style it like mine though."

"She'd look really cute like that," Yukino replied. "But what do you want to do? I have a lot of spirits, but I don't know which ones are compatible with yours."

"Yeah, the spirits I know wouldn't work well," she replied. "Maybe Aquarius and Pisces but… I'd rather not risk the lives of everyone at the party by bringing Aquarius in. Oh, but I don't really know what other spirits you have." Yukino smiled and held up a key ring full of silver keys, and three gold.

"I have quite a few," she replied, "including three of Leo's brothers."

"Leo's… brothers…?"

"Yeah," said Yukino with a smile, showing three keys that looked like a simpler version of Loke's. "These are a few of the keys of Leo minor. They're powerful though so there's not all that many, only a few dozen. They'd more combat spirits than anything else."

"I see," she replied. "Well, I think we should work it out with the boys too after Maddie wakes up. This is her first job as a Fairy Tail wizard after all, so we need to be careful and make sure we don't overwhelm her with the work."

"But it still has to be grand enough for an engagement party for someone so rich," Yukino reminded. "We can't go too simple, especially since they want a big finally."

"We can do that ourselves," Lucy assure confidently. "Happy and Frosch flying in the air while we use our powers to create fireworks that do exactly what he asks, I think it'd work well! Rogue can use his shadows to draw even more attention to the brightness! I think it'll be fantastic!"

"Wow," Yukino praised with a bit of surprise, "you've already thought out the big finale!" She smiled. "Then again, you are an incredibly smart wizard. My spirits tell me that yours praise you in the spirit world all the time. I believe it."

"Well I'm sure you'd get a different story if you ever talked to Aquarius," Lucy said with a smile.

"We'll see," Yukino replied.

* * *

Happy was lounging on the bed while Natsu looked through the closet.

"They must want us to wear these outfits for the party," said Happy. "Why else would they provide us with clothes?"

"I don't know," Natsu replied unhappily, "but none of these monkey suits will look good with my scarf!" He grumbled as one of the suits set on fire.

"Natsu we might have to pay for that," Happy panicked. "Do you wanna deal with Lucy when she finds out we lost some of the reward?!" bThey both paled at the thought as they both imagined Lucy with a whip.

" _ **Why do you guys want to take all my rent money,"**_  she thundered in their heads as Natsu tried his best to put out the fire.

"I think it's only a little charred," Natsu said hopefully. "Maybe they won't make us pay." Their thought process was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Hey, who's there?"

"It's just myself and Frosch," said Rogue's voice from the other side.

"Oh hey, come on in," replied Natsu with a smile. Rogue opened the door and came in.

"Did you… set that on fire," asked Rogue in slight alarm.

"It was an accident," Natsu panicked. "Don't tell Lucy!"

"I… wasn't intending on it," Rogue deadpanned.

"Fro wasn't either," replied Frosch.

"Well as long as Lucy doesn't know," said Happy. "So what'd you guys want to talk about?"

"The party for one," started Rogue, sitting on the edge of the bed, "and that little girl you two came with."

"Oh Maddie," Natsu said with a smile as he leaned back, lounging on the bed, "yeah she's great!"

"She shares her fish with me," Happy praised as he gnawed on one.

"Fro wants a fish," they said.

"Sure buddy," replied Happy as he tossed Frosch a fish, who caught it and nibbled on it.

"She seems lovely," said Rogue, "but she's a little concerning. Her smell was so familiar."

"What," said Natsu, fully alert and shooting back up to be sitting cross legged on the bed, "you recognize her smell?!"

"Yes but why are you so alarmed by it," Rogue asked.

"We're looking for her family," he answered. "Maddie came to the guild with no memory of who she was other than her name, Maddie Harneel." Rogue looked down in thought, his hand on his chin.

"Harneel," he repeated softly, "the name sounds very familiar." He looked up at Natsu. "Perhaps she might be related to someone in Sabertooth, or our town. Or maybe she could be related to a past client. I could look into it for you."

"That'd be great," Natsu said excitedly. "I bet her parents will be really relieved to see her again!"

"I can imagine," said Rogue. "I'll be glad to help reunite a family. Sting can help out now that he's the master. We can get all the guilds working on it."

"Oh yeah," said Natsu, jumping onto his feet, "now I'm fired up!" He turned to Rogue. "Let's go meet up with the girls and try to think up something for the party tomorrow night!"

"Yeah," agreed Happy, jumping up and flying. "We only have a day to figure it all out, so let's go find the girls and work it out with them!" Rogue nodded and pulled out a lacrima.

"Hey Yukino, it's me." Within moments Yukino's face appeared in the palm sized orb.

"Sh," she said gently, "I'm in Maddie and Lucy's room and she's sleeping." She moved the Lacrima to show the adorable sleeping girl.

"Oh okay," said Rogue. "Call me when she wakes up. We should find the party room after and then practice in a shadow room." Yukino nodded.

"Alright, see you soon."

"Uh, what's a shadow room," asked Natsu.

* * *

They were all gathered in the party room, looking around at everything.

"Alright, let me make the shadow room," said Yukino, holding up a pitch-black lacrima.

"I still don't know what that is," Natsu said.

"I'll show you," said Rogue as he tossed it up into the air. Once it got to its peak height, it froze in place and pulsed with violet light as it covered the room.

"Whoa," said Lucy, holding Maddie close, "this is freaky!"

"Don't worry," said Yukino, "it's just a shadow room! A shadow room is a spell from a lacrima that creates an interdimensional space that perfectly mimics a dark version of that room! This way we can come up with our act and practice it as much as we need without actually damaging the room."

"Wow, that's actually really smart," praised Happy.

"It is," said Lucy as she looked around. "So we're not in the mansion anymore?"

"Nope," replied Rogue. "We're in a pocket dimension." Maddie looked around and hid behind Lucy's leg.

"Why does the dark haired man keep doing scary things," she whimpered.

"S-She think I'm really that scary," he asked, surprised.

"Come on now Maddie," said Lucy, "you're hurting his feelings." Maddie shut her eyes tightly.

"S-Sorry," she stuttered out, "I don't know why, but this place is just really dark and scary!" Yukino smiled and pulled out a gate key. " **Open, Gate of the Eternal Fire, Phoenix!** " Her key shined brightly, and out of the air came a woman with bright flaming wings.

"Whoa, a Phoenix key," said Lucy in awe as she looked up. "I've heard that they're incredibly powerful, one of the most powerful silver keys!"

"I wonder how that fire tastes," Natsu pondered aloud as he drooled at the sight of the fire.

"You summoned me mistress," asked the elegant woman.

"Please don't call me that," Yukino begged, embarrassed. "Anyway we just need it to be light in here! So please, shine your light as brightly as you can." The woman nodded, her flames extending across the air above, then as it disappeared it left little fireballs of every color, making the room turn from it's dark violet to a lovely lilac.

"This is beautiful," said Lucy softly. Maddie slowly opened her eyes, and looked in amazement as she looked around.

"It's so pretty," she said softly. "I love the lights…"

"I will see you later mistress," said Phoenix with a smirk as she disappeared.

"Stop calling me that!" Yukino's face was flushed as she turned to face everyone else. "Well, we should try and practice!" Maddie nodded and got out her bag.

"Alright, but… I don't think I know how to use my magic," she said softly. "What if I can't do anything?" Rogue smiled and got on one knee, gently putting his hand on her shoulder.

"You don't need to," he said. "Magic is something you feel in your heart. Trust it, and you'll know what to do." She nodded.

"I'll try!" Rogue nodded and stood up. Maddie went into her bag and pulled out a coin, holding it close to her heart.

"Feel the magic in my heart," she said softly. "Feel it…" Her hand glowed softly with a golden light and her eyes snapped open. " **Release, Seal of the Guiding Light, Fire Token!** " She held out her hand as the token floated in her hand then disappeared into a bright flame that encircled her hands. "Oh, I did it!" She looked up at Lucy and Natsu with an excited smile. "I used magic!"

"Good job," said Lucy proudly.

"Fire," said Natsu as he stared. "Think I could have a bite?" As Maddie was about to respond, her eyes widened as if she was zoning out, a completely different scene playing out in front of her eyes.

* * *

_"Run," shouted a woman she could barely see. "Run away. Don't let anyone touch our daughter!" A pair of strong arms wrapped around Maddie, holding her close._

" _I won't leave you behind," shouted back the man holding her. "Dammit this isn't how it's going to end!"_

" _Just go," she yelled back. "Save our daughter!" Maddie could feel herself being carried away._

" _MAMA NO," she shouted out._

* * *

Maddie stood there silently as a tear fell down her cheek.

"Maddie," Lucy said worriedly as she got on her knees, gently grabbing her shoulder. "Maddie what's wrong?"

"What's happening," asked Natsu with worry in his voice, maybe even more than Lucy.

"I don't know!" She gently shook her shoulders. "Maddie please!" Maddie blinked a few times and her eyes went back to normal.

"Huh, what happened," she asked. "Lucy why are you so worried?" Lucy hugged her tightly.

"You had me so worried," she said as she pulled away.

"You worried all of us," said Happy. "Are you alright?" Maddie nodded.

"Yeah I'm fine," she said, holding up the arm that had flames coiling around it. "So this is the power of token magic?" She smiled brightly. "Then let's put these flames to good use!"

* * *

Erza stood in the darkness of the forest, looking around and listening carefully.

"I know you're there," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Could you please come out? I asked you here for a reason." A figure wearing a blue cloak came from the other side of the tree.

"You know I can never be too careful," came the all to familiar voice that made Erza smile.

"Well that's understandable Jellal," she mused.

"I never expected you to use that lacrima so early," he said as they both remembered it. "And this isn't exactly the purpose I had in mind."

* * *

_"What's this," asked Erza on the outskirts of the capital city as Jellal handed her a lacrima._

_"A precautionary measure of sorts," he said. "It's a communication lacrima that's linked to only one, my own. Fairy Tail is in the public eye again. You guys might attract some unwanted company. I know you can all handle it on your own easily, but should you think that any of them might have a clue as to Zeref's location, please tell me and I'll come right away." Erza nodded, tucking it away._

_"Alright then," Erza replied. "If we encounter anyone who knows, then I'll get back to you. I promise."_

* * *

"But we have something important to talk about." She took a painting out from her armor of Maddie. "Have you ever heard of the Harneel family?" Jellal shook his head, taking the picture.

"No I haven't," he said before his eyes widened. "Erza is there Picto magic in this?" She nodded.

"Yes, Reedus drew it," she replied. "Why?"

"Sometimes when something's drawn with Picto Magic it can have traces of the magic of a person," he informed. "This magic that I'm feeling, it's unlike any I've ever felt before."

"Well she uses Token Magic," Erza replied, leaning against a tree, "so I'm not surprised. Master Makarov says people with the ability to use Token Magic are rare." Jellal shook his head.

"No it's not that," he said. "Her magic is beyond Token Magic. I've met a user before and their magic felt nothing like this. I've never felt this kind of magic. It's something almost entirely new." He looked back up at her. "She's so young. Is this how she looks now?" Erza gave him a single nod. "I hate to say it, but I'd keep a close eye on this child. Her magic isn't dark but it's suspicious to be sure."

"I've been determined to do that already," Erza said. "Everyone short of me is already completely smitten with her and she's been here less than a week. I fear for Natsu and Lucy the most because they seem to have taken a great liking to her, Happy as well, but not quite as strongly." She closed her eyes, thinking about the four of them together. "Almost like a family unit, them. It worries me."

"It is rather suspicious," Jellal remarked. "I'll investigate into this Harneel family."

"Please do that," encouraged Erza. "But I have one other question. If the magic power you're sensing doesn't match the kind Token Magic users normally have, then how is she using the magic in the first place?"

"She much be an incredibly strong wizard," informed Jellal. "If she's using the wrong kind of magic for her person, then it uses even more magic than it normally would. Put it plainly, it's like using a bigger cup for tea than you would normally use. In order to fill it up all the way, you have to pour more tea from the pot into it." He put his hood back up. "I'll start on my investigation. If there's anything dark though, then we will be taking her."

"I don't see any reason why you shouldn't," she agreed. "I trust you not to hurt the girl. As suspicious as I am of her, she is just a child. She doesn't deserve harm to come her way."  
"Don't worry," he replied, "we would never dream of harming a child. Truth be told, any child we've come across Meldy's wanted to adopt into the group. We don't exactly have the ability to raise one, but if it were to be the only way to protect her, then I suppose we'd have no choice."

"I agree," said Erza, "I think Meldy would be a wonderful mother. And you'd be a good father."

"You flatter me Erza," he said humbly. "I would be mediocre at best."

"And you're too humble," she countered with a smile. "I suppose I should be getting back. I need to go to bed anyway." She started walking away. "I'll see you around Jellal."

* * *

The part room was bustling and full of people in elegant attire, the hired wizards among them in matching uniforms. Lucy and Maddie were in matching dresses, with Lucy's being a soft pink and Maddie's being a pastel yellow. Yukino's dress was pure white and had feathered details on it, while the boys wore suits. Frosch themselves wore their regular frog suit, since Rogue hadn't had the heart to make him take it off.

"This place is so pretty," said Maddie in awe as she looked around.

"Well engagement parties tend to be like this for rich folks," said Lucy.

"Fairy Tail, Sabertooth," said Eugene, coming up behind them, "I want you to meet my daughter Elizabeth." Next to him was a beautiful young woman with long brown hair and green eyes.

"Nice to meet you," she said with a smile. They all turned to see her, Natsu and Happy just staring at her like they were looking at a ghost.

"Oh nice to meet you too," said Lucy with a smile. "These are Maddie, Natsu, and Happy. We're here with Fairy Tail."

"And I'm Yukino," Yukino continued with a smile, "here with Rogue Cheney and Frosch of Sabertooth. We're thankful that you asked both of our guilds to work your party."

"I just couldn't choose," said Elizabeth sheepishly. "I know Fairy Tail won the Grand Magic Games, but Sabertooth was just as awesome!" She had her hands on her cheeks, her excitement carrying her away. "I just couldn't pick and decided to go with whichever guild took the job first! And now you're both here! Oh this is so exciting!" She stopped when she realized that Happy and Natsu were staring at her. "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

"Natsu she looks just like…"

"I know," Natsu said softly.

"I look like who," Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah who are you talking about," Lucy asked. "She doesn't look like anyone in the guild I've ever met!"

"I-It's nothing," said Natsu. "I'm gonna go to the buffet." He turned around and walked away.

"Y-Yeah," said Happy as he followed.

"I'm so sorry," Lucy apologized, "he's a bit weird like that sometimes!" Elizabeth laughed.

"It's alright," she insisted, "it's not the first time I've heard that. Apparently I remind people of others they've known all the time. But anyway, enjoy the party." She gave a wave and walked away.

"I wonder what that was about," said Lucy as she looked at Natsu and Happy. They had both seemed to recover and were pigging out at the buffet table.

"They'll be fine," said Yukino. "I'm sure that they'll be fine."

"Yeah but I hate seeing him like that," said Lucy worriedly.

"If he wants to tell you he will," advised Rogue. "Don't push him."

"Yeah," said Lucy softly. "Well I guess we should enjoy the party." She looked down at Maddie, holding out her hand. "Maddie, would you like to dance?"

"Yes," said Maddie, smiling brightly as he took Lucy's hand. Lucy lead her to the dance floor. Lucy showed her how to dance like a proper lady, and although she was clumsy, Maddie learned nit pretty fast. Yukino smiled as she watched the two of them.

"Lucy's almost like a mom to little Maddie," she said softly.

"Fro thinks so too," said Frosch.

"I admit, they do make for an adorable family," said Rogue with a rare smile, "but she smells so familiar. I wonder where I've smelled her scent before."

"I don't know where you would," said Yukino. "I don't have your sense of smell though. But I can say that I think it's good Lucy has Maddie around. I guess you can call it practice for being a mom."

"You do realize that Lucy may not want children," Rogue pointed out. "Don't assume what she wants. Not every woman wants kids like you do."

"I don't know," said Yukino, "she just looks so happy."

"Fro thinks so too."

"The dancing looks fun too," added Yukino.

"Well then, would you care to dance," asked Rogue as he extended his hand towards her. She smiled and nodded, taking it as he lead her across the dance floor.

"Natsu, are you gonna hide from her and eat here the whole time," Happy asked him as he watched Natsu stuff his face.

"No," said Natsu as he wiped his lips. "I just, I needed a second. I wasn't expecting that. They don't look identical, just enough alike that it threw me for a loop."

"Yeah me too," said Happy as he looked down at the fish. "But it's not her. She's gone." Happy sighed.

"Don't worry about it," said Natsu, rubbing the top of Happy's head. "She wouldn't want us to mope. Come on, let's go join Lucy!" Happy looked up at him with a small smile and nodded.

"Aye sir!" Natsu and Happy made their way over to Lucy and Maddie.

"Mind if I cut in," Natsu asked, holding his hand out to Maddie. Lucy smiled.

"Why not," said Lucy, taking one of his hands. "We can all dance together!"

"Yeah," agreed Maddie. Natsu took Maddie's hand and danced with the both of them for most of the night until a mini firework went off.

"Looks like it's time," said Natsu as he ran off to his position and shot off two fireballs into the air that burst into fire works. Happy and Frosch's wings came out as they flew around the room in synch, circling each other and looping around.

"I guess it's my time to help out," said Lucy as she pulled out one of her keys. " **Open, Gate of the Lion, Loke!** " Loke smiled as he came out of the gate, looking at Lucy.

"Oh, is it time for our engagement party," he asked as Lucy sighed.

"Loke we practiced this already!" He nodded and held up his hand.

" **Regulus Shot** ," he called out as his hand lit up, sending a ball of light into the air that exploded into fireworks.

"I suppose I need to summon my spirits as well," Yukino said as she held up a key. " **Open, Gate of the Swan, Deneb!** " In a flash of golden light, the swan spirit dressed in violet with black hair appeared.

"Why am I here," he asked in annoyance.

"Come on, we talked about this," chided Yukino. "besides, we practiced earlier and you did beautifully!"

"Everyone's gonna complain about my black wings."

"You look great," encouraged Yukino. "Now fly like the graceful, elegant swan you are!" Deneb looked around at everyone before flying up, going over the crowd as lightning trailed behind him.

"This is coming together very well," noted Rogue as he held up his hand, shadows dancing on his palm. "Time to join in." His shadows snuck up behind Natsu's fireworks displays, creating contrast between the bright flames and the dark areas and bringing out Natsu's displays.

"Alright then," said Maddie with a smile as she held up a token. " **Release, Seal of Flight, Wings!** " The token floated to her back and turned into a pair of brilliant wings that she used to soar into the sky, joining Happy and Frosch, flying in between them and joining hands with them as she laughed and smiled.

"Oh my," said Elizabeth with a delighted smile, a man with a bright smile on her arms, "a flying little girl! How amazing! Fairy Tail wizards are so cool!"

"Yes they are dear," agreed the man.

"It's going beautifully," said Lucy with a proud smile as she watched Maddie soaring in the sky. "Looks like this job turned out well for Maddie!"

The rest of the show for the night went without a hitch, and as they came to the finale, the young couple was presented to everyone. As the party ended and the guests filtered out, the hired guild wizards stayed behind with Elizabeth and Eugene.

"Thank you so much for making this party a success," he said honestly. "In fact, you did so well, I want to increase your rewards!"

"Oh, no need to do that," said Lucy.  _"I don't need the extra rent money anyway."_

"No, I insist," said Eugene as he held out a brief case. "Instead of splitting up the reward, I want to grant you each the amount promised. You really brought far more to the party than I expected and it was fantastic."

"Wait, you want to give us each 400,00 jewel," Lucy yelled in shock.

"Yes please," he said. "Take it, I insist. Plus it was nice to see you again Lucy." He winked at her. "And you can't stop me from writing you all up a nice big check. Maddie and the Exceed can get the same amount too."

"KA CHING," shouted out Happy.

"Happy that's incredibly rude," Lucy berated.

"I agree with Lucy," said Yukino. "I think that we should take the reward that was promised."

"Agreed," said Rogue. "400,000 jewel for the each of us is a bit too much."

"Fro thinks so too."

"I insist," said Eugene.

"You guys were just so amazing," Elizabeth squealed. "I think that show was better than anything I could've ever hoped for!"

"I insist you take it," said the man as he opened up the brief case, 7 neat stacks of money for each guild member inside. "Look, they even have little icons with your faces on them on the band!"

"You already had it prepped so fast," Lucy burst out.

"Yes I did," replied Eugene with a smile. "Now please take it."

"I don't think we can say no now," said Rogue as he reached for his and Frosch's stacks, placing them in a fashionable coin purse styled bag. "This should cover out rent at Saber Commons for a while."

"True," said Yukino as she grabbed her own. "Thank you for your generosity!"

"Sweet," said Natsu as he grabbed his stack. "Happy we're eating well tonight!"

"Of course you will," said Eugene. "I insist that you stay the night!"

"We can't," said Lucy. "We need to get going now. After a recent incident I wanna get home as soon as possible. Plus Maddie needs to get going to bed."

"Awwww," Maddie pouted, "but I'm not sleepy."

"You will be when we get to Magnolia," Lucy said. "So everyone grab your rewards so we can go. And thank you for such a wonderful party."

"The pleasure was all mine," assured Eugene. "Thank you for accepting the job."

* * *

They were all on the train back to Magnolia, Maddie's sick head in Lucy's lap while Natsu was slumped in his seat.

"I think I'm gonna hurl," he said.

"Me too," said Maddie.

"It's alright," said Lucy. "Want me to sing another lullaby?"

"Please," said Maddie. Lucy closed her eyes and sang as Maddie thought about it.

" _Were those memories,"_  she asked herself, thinking of the vision she'd seen when she used the Fire Token. She also thought of the other one, though much briefer when she had used the Wings Token.

* * *

_"Angels have wings right Mama," asked Maddie to a woman that she was sitting in the lap of._

_"Not all angels have wings," the woman replied. "Some are angels who never have wings."_

_"I wanna have wings one day Mama," Maddie said to her._

" _When you're old enough to find your own magic, you will," her mother promised._

* * *

Maddie slept soundly, thinking of the second memory, and how warm her mother was, and how strong her father's arms were.

At the Mindara estate, the same dark wizard as before stood on the rooftop.

"Looks like we missed our chance," he said in annoyance. "But maybe we can collect up what we need."


	3. Underworld Origin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dark organization rears its ugly head in its attempt to try and capture Maddie for their nefarious goals, abducting the poor girl. As Natsu fights Maddie's captor he learns about this evil group known as Underworld Origin. Just what are their goals and what does that have to do with Maddie?

Maddie and Asca were talking to each other while Lucy, Happy, and Natsu sat at the bar, talking to the Master.

"I see," said Master Makarov, his eyes closed. "And she hasn't said anything about what happened then?"

"No, not a word," answered Lucy. "I'm getting worried about her."

"What did she see," asked Natsu. "It only happened twice but I haven't seen it happen since."

"It was kinda scary actually," added Happy. "It was like she wasn't there, not in spirit."

"We can only wait," answered Master Makarov, opening an eye. "Perhaps the use of her magic helped her to remember. You can recover stolen memories when magic comes into play. We simply don't know what's going on with her. The best thing to do is wait and see what happens. If she is remembering something, let her tell you herself. Pushing her might hurt her."

"Alright then Master," said Lucy, "if that's what you think is best."

"It's been a while since she joined and nothing has happened," Makarov noted. "Has she snuck off anywhere?"

"Not that I know," Lucy said. "As far as I know she hasn't left the house at all overnight."

"I think that we can safely say she's not directly working for anyone," Makarov decided. "However, I would still keep an eye on her so that way we know for sure that no one is using her."

"If you ask me," said Natsu, "it feels more like she's running from something."

"That could be as well," agreed Makarov. "It wouldn't be the first time someone in Fairy Tail was trying to escape something." He looked over at Lucy. "And when push comes to shove, when what they're running from comes to get them, we will protect them with all our might. Just like we did for you Lucy, we will protect Maddie."  
"If we didn't then we don't deserve to bear these guild emblems," said Lucy with a smile as she thought of when Phantom Lord attacked.

* * *

_**" _W_ e would never betray her like that** _ _," shouted out Erza from the ground, with the intensity of a tiger in a fight. " **You'd have to kill us first!"**_

* * *

"The incident with Phantom Lord was terrifying," said Lucy, "but if I still had any doubts lingering as to whether or not I should've joined Fairy Tail, that erased all of them. I love this guild so much, and I hope Maddie loves it just as fiercely as I do."

"Speaking of, where is she," asked Makarov as he looked around. "I could've swore she was just with Asca."

"I don't know," said Lucy, looking around. "She was just here… she came with me to the guild this morning." Natsu stood up.

"I'm gonna go look for her." He ran out the front door.

"I'll follow him so that he doesn't get into trouble," said Happy with a sigh, following Natsu.

* * *

Maddie stood behind the guild hall, holding her bag of tokens.

"When I used a Token, I remember something," she noted aloud. "Will I remember more if I keep using my magic?" She took out a random coin and took in a deep breath. "I can't remember the name of this token. Maybe I need another one." She kept going through the bag, looking for a token that felt right. One of them felt warm and familiar to her, so she pulled it out, looking at the token. It had what looked like a clawed hand on it. She took in another deep breath, closing her eyes. " **Release, Seal of the Dragon, Claws!**  The coin floated and disappeared, her hands becoming scaled and clawed. "Awesome, dragon claws!" Then, her eyes went blank again as she felt herself disappear into a memory.

* * *

_"Higher Papa," she called out, giggling as her father, his face obscured by a bright light, tossed her up in the air and caught her._

_"If I do your mom'll freak," he teased._

_"But I wanna soar in the sky," she pouted._

_"Well then don't tell your mom!"_

* * *

She smiled as she held tightly onto the memory.

"Papa," she said softly, "you were so warm, just like the sun."

"Maddie," called out Natsu, running up to her from behind.

"Natsu," she asked softly, "what are you doing here?" He stopped in front of her.

"you disappeared and we got worried," he stated as he hunched down. "You can't just run off like that okay? You're gonna give Lucy a heart attack!"

"I'm sorry," she said shyly, looking down. "I just wanted to try something."

"Does it have something to do with those sick claws," he asked. "They look pretty strong to me!" She smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I just wanted to test my magic a bit." She closed her eyes. " **Set the Seal.** " Her claws disappeared and her hand held the token again. "That was fun!" She looked up at Natsu as he stood up right. "Natsu can we get ice cream?"

"It's morning," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. Maddie pouted at him.

"Please?" He smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Alright, as long as Lucy doesn't find out!" She held up her arms.

"Can you carry me," she asked. Natsu scooped her up.

"Sure kiddo," he responded as he carried her away. "What kind of ice cream do you want?"

"Strawberry!"

"Natsu," said Happy as he flew over, "you can't just do that! Lucy's gonna be worried that something happened to the both of you!"

"So just tell her that we're going to the town," said Natsu. "Maddie hasn't seen it anyway."

"I really wanna visit the town," Maddie said excitedly.

"Why am I stuck with being the messenger," Happy complained as Natsu and Maddie walked away.

* * *

"So Natsu's taking Maddie on a tour," asked Lucy. "That doesn't seem much like him."

"I know," said Happy with a sigh. "It's like I don't even know him anymore. And now he's just spending time with her and not me!"

"It's okay Happy," said Lucy. "He's not gonna abandon you or anything!"

"NATSU'S GONNA ABANDON ME?!" Happy started crying a river.

"Uh…" Lucy looked around, trying to figure out what to do.

"Come on Happy," came Lisanna from behind him, sitting next to him and rubbing his back, "what's wrong?"

" _Natsu abandoned me for Maddie_ ," he cried.

"I'm sure he didn't," Lisanna replied. "He's just taking some time to get to know her. Besides, you'll always be his number one partner and best friend! He's never once abandoned you, not for real."

"Then why didn't he ask me to come with," Happy asked, looking up at her.

"Natsu isn't always the brightest," Lisanna answered. "He can be inconsiderate sometimes, but I'm sure if you just talk to him about the way you feel, he'll understand."

"You think so," Happy asked hopefully.

"I know so," Lisanna replied confidently, standing up. "Now go talk to your best friend!"

"Aye sir," said Happy enthusiastically as he flew away.

"Wow Lisanna," praised Lucy, "you handled that situation really well! I'm impressed!"

"Well I have known them for a long time," Lisanna said, turning to Lucy. "This isn't the first time something like this has happened. One time Natsu found a stray dog and started feeding it, and Happy got really jealous. Another time Natsu was getting into this new game that came out involving cards. It was a strategy game so he wasn't very good at it, but Gray was, so he spent his time trying to learn so he could beat Gray instead of spending time with Happy."

"I see," Lucy said, thinking about it. "So then this is just something that happens with them?"

"Yep. They always hug and make up though, without any incident. I'm sure this one will be no different."

"I hope so," said Lucy as she looked out towards the door. "It'd be really sad if they stopped being friends over this."

* * *

Maddie and Natsu sat outside a shop, each with dishes. Maddie had several large scoops of strawberry, while Natsu had a bright red desert.

"This is tasty," said Maddie happily. "Thanks Natsu!"

"Don't mention it," he said, leaning back against his chair. "Seriously, don't. I don't want Lucy to chew me out for this."

"You and Lucy get along really well," she noted with a smile. "Even if you two fight."

"Well yeah," said Natsu as if it were obvious, "that's because we're teammates! Lucy's one of my closest friends now. We've always been together since she joined. We haven't done any jobs without each other. Her, me, and of course Happy!"

"You too sound like a married couple," Maddie giggled out.

"What makes you say that," he asked, completely confused as he straightened out.

"You're always together," she said. "I've been told you've fought more fiercely for her than anyone else, like when Phantom Lord took her both times! Or when the Infinity Clock scattered and you caught her while she fell from the sky! You're always there to save her!"

"Well when you put it that way I guess," he admitted, "but Lucy and I are just friends. Besides, Happy's already saying stuff like that."

"Happy looked so sad earlier," she said, looking down and totally going completely off track. "Do you think he wanted to join us for ice cream too?"

"Nah," said Natsu, leaning back again, "Happy doesn't like ice cream unless it has fish in it."

"Then we should bring him back some fishy ice cream," suggested Maddie with a bright smile. "I bet he like mackerel!"

"He… does actually," confirmed Natsu with surprise. "Mackerel is his favorite." He smiled and reached over to ruffle her hair. "How'd you know that? You must be good at paying attention." She just shrugged. "Wait here, I'll go get some from the market and then mix it in with some vanilla ice cream."

"Alright, I'll stay right here!" He got up and ran off as she kicked her feet and ate her ice cream.

* * *

Natsu was at the market, one of the fishermen wrapping up a couple of mackerels.

"This'll make Happy happy," said Natsu with a bright smile. "Now to get back to the ice cream shop!" He turned to head towards it, but saw a speck of blue flying towards him. "Happy?"

"NATSUUUUUUU," he called out as he tackled Natsu, knocking him over.

"Happy get off of me," said Natsu as he picked the cat up off of him. "What are you doing here?"

"I just," said Happy sniffling, "I wanted to talk." Natsu put him on the ground.

"Okay, I'm listening." Happy took in a deep breath, slowly letting it out.

"It's just, you've been spending so much time with Maddie," he sniffled. "It feels like you've forgotten about me sometimes. You totally ditched me to go spend time with her today. It makes me feel like you don't even care about me anymore. Like Maddie's a replacement for me!"

"Happy," said Natsu as he picked him up, "don't worry about a thing! You're still my number one partner!" He gave Happy his classic, carefree smile. "I promise no one will be replacing you! You're my best bud now and forever!"

"Natsu," he sobbed as he held on tightly, Natsu rubbing his back.

"It's okay, I'm sorry for making you feel like that."

* * *

Maddie was humming, kicking her feet as she ate her ice cream.

"I see you're by yourself little Maddie," said an armored woman. Maddie looked up to see Erza and smiled at her.

"Hi Erza," she greeted brightly. "Wanna share my ice cream?"

"Oh," she said, fairly surprised as she sat down, "you'd share your ice cream with me? Why?"

"Because you don't have any," Maddie answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Besides, it's starting to melt and I won't finish it before it does!"

"Well we can't let perfectly good ice cream go to waste," said Erza with a small smile as she sat down.  _"Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself with this whole thing. She's just barely older than Asca."_  She shook her head as she picked up a spoon and started eating.  _"No. I can't let myself forget what Jellal said."_ She looked towards the little girl.  _"This girl is incredibly powerful. Young as she may be, she's expending large amounts of magic just to use the wrong one for herself. That alone is suspicious."_

"Is something wrong," Maddie asked, her head tiled.

"It's nothing for you to worry about," said Erza with a smile. "So tell me, do you like strawberries?" She nodded.

"Oh yeah," she answered excitedly. "Strawberries are my favorite! They're tart but sweet at the same time!" She giggled. "They're the best on cakes!"

"I quite agree," Erza said with a nod, "but they're delicious in ice cream as well." She noticed Maddie was starting to squirm. "Something wrong?"

"No nothing," she replied, "we're talking."

"Come on," Erza encouraged, "you can trust me."

"It's just," she whimpered, "I really have to go to the bathroom… but I don't know where it is." Erza couldn't help but give off a small laugh.

"There's one inside the ice cream shoppe," she informed her. "Do you want me to show you?" Maddie shook her head.

"I can find it myself," she insisted as she jumped off of the chair, running into the shop.

"I shouldn't be surprised by her behavior," Erza reminded herself. "After all, suspicious or not, she is still a child."

"Hey Erza," called out Natsu from behind her as he and Happy came up behind her, "what are you doing here?"

"Just enjoying some sweets," she replied. "And where did you run off to?"

"Just to get some fish for Happy for the ice cream I'm gonna get him," Natsu said as he held up the brown paper wrapped package.

"You did that for me," Happy sniffled out.

"Well yeah, but it was Maddie's idea," he said with a smile before realizing she wasn't there. "Speaking of, where is she?"

"Oh, she's just in the bathroom," Erza replied. "Natsu, I've been meaning to talk to you and Happy for a couple of days now. Lucy too, but she's not here. I've been waiting for a chance where you're not here with Maddie, and this is the first chance I've gotten."

"Why without Maddie," Natsu asked.

"Just sit down," she ordered with a glare.

"Yes ma'am!" They both sat down, leaving Maddie's seat open.

"I know the Master told me to keep out, but I just couldn't let this go," she started, closing her eyes and resting her chin on her hands. "So I took a painting of her that Reedus made to Jellal and asked him if he had known anything about her, or anything of the Harneel family. He knew nothing of them, but he did find one thing." She looked up at him. "She's not a Token Wizard at all. Her magic power isn't compatible with Token Magic, and in order for her to be able to use it, she has to waste a large amount of magic power."

"That can't be right," said Natsu. "I've been right there when she's used her magic and I've hardly felt any magic power."

"Natsu's right," said Happy. "If she was really that powerful, then we'd feel the magic, but we just don't. Maybe Jellal was wrong."

"Well he's not infallible," Erza admitted, "but I still feel like something's not right with her. Her appearance in the guild alone is mysterious. I doubt this uneasiness will go away until I understand how she came to be a part of Fairy Tail, and more importantly, why."

"I get that," said Natsu, "but I think Maddie's not out to hurt us. I just can't believe it."

"Honestly, I don't think she wants to hurt us either," Erza said. "Not intentionally anyway. She's just a little girl. She hasn't even begun to form her own path in life yet. No, my biggest fear in this particular situation is her magic itself. Jellal said he'd never felt anything like it before. While unknown magic can create new kinds of magic, be the origin of a new style of spells, it can also be unpredictable, destructive. She could destroy people without meaning to just because she's upset."

"I think you're wrong," said Natsu. "Maddie's magic isn't that powerful. Besides, even if she was, we'd still protect her. She's a card carrying Fairy Tail wizard now."

"Natsu's right," said Happy. "It's our job to protect her now that she's in the guild, not doubt her. Maybe you should spend less time distrusting her and more time helping her. Maybe she's running from something. Maybe she needs our protection."

"Don't think I haven't considered it," she warned. "I've considered all possible reasons why she might be here. Running from something has come across my mind. And yet, if she was running from something, wouldn't she have at least something that warns her against her threat? Without her memories, how does she know what to protect herself from? Of course, the enemy could always have taken her memories to make her easier to capture, but I find that unlikely if she has such powerful magic. The stronger it is, the harder it is for mental spells to take affect. So that only leaves us with one option. She took her own memories, but for what reason I have no idea."

"Well, I don't know," Natsu admitted, "but I know that Maddie is innocent and…" he frowned, "she should've been back by now." He stood up. "I'm gonna go check on her." Erza stood up and pushed him back down into his seat.

"No you won't," she ordered. "You can't just go barging into a women's restroom! I'll go check on her." Requipping a sword into her hand, she went into the store, heading straight to the bathroom and looking around. All of the stalls were empty. As Erza went further in, she noticed that there was broken glass, and one of the high up windows was shattered. "Oh no!" She ran outside and shouted towards Natsu. "She's gone!"

"What," he shouted as he stood up. "What do you mean she's gone?!"

"The window in the bathroom is broken," she replied. "I think that she was taken from the bathroom." Natsu's fists flared up.

"They took her, I knew she was running from something!" He turned to Happy. "Happy, take me over town so we can find her!"

"Aye sir!" He grabbed Natsu by his collar and flew up in the air. Natsu scanned the sky while Erza ran on the ground, heading towards the guild.

"I can't believe someone took Maddie while she was in the bathroom," Natsu growled out. "When I find them, I'm gonna turn them into a pile of ashes!" Happy soared over the town, going in all directions. Natsu's eyes scanned over everything, taking in deep sniffs as he tried to catch her scent. "Into the forest Happy! I can smell her there!"

"Aye sire," called out Happy as he shot towards the forests. Soon they came upon a man in a kabuki mask, with a young girl with blond hair tossed over his shoulder.

"MADDIE," Natsu shouted out as they flew towards the man holding her, grabbing her off of the man's shoulder as he held her close. "Don't worry Maddie, I've got you." He looked up at the man, glaring. "Who the hell are you an d what do you want with Maddie?!"

"Maddie," he said with a laugh, "is that what she's calling herself? I suppose a fake name is best to protect herself from us." He stood in a lazy pose, his hand extended. "Hand the girl back over, or else I'll be forced to get nasty."

"I'm not handing anyone over," he growled as he put her up against a tree gently. "Happy, take her back to the guild. Make sure she gets there safely."

"Got it," said Happy as he picked her up, flying away.

"Now tell me who you are," Natsu demanded to know, "and why are you here for Maddie?!"

"You may call me Mors The Power Reaper," he replied. "I am part of the Underworld Origin organization and leader of the Reaper's Trio. And I need the girl. My Master commands it so."

"Well you're gonna have to go back empty handed," Natsu hollered as he jumped towards him, his fist on fire, "because you're not getting your hands on her!  **Fire Dragon Iron Fist!** " He punched the guy square in the face, but instead of the guy falling back, he stood here, smirking as Natsu landed on the ground.

"You can't hurt me," said Mors with a smirk as he lifted up both of his hands. " **Reaper Emulation.** " His hands held two black orbs with swirling energy that seemed to suck the life out of the plants around him as they browned and died.

"What kind of sick magic is this," Natsu demanded. "What are you doing to the plants?!"

"Using my magic," answered Mors, "Reaper Magic, specifically Reaper Emulate. I can take the life of anything and emulate any magical style that fits it." Vines wrapped around his hands. "At least until that power runs out. Then I just have to steal more life, but I'm sure this amount will be sufficient to deal with you." He threw his hand out and the vines shot towards Natsu and wrapped around him.

"You think a few vines will scare me?" He used his strength to push his arm out, breaking apart the vines. "That's nothing!" Mors laughed.

"You are definitely strong, but I've face a far stronger Fire Dragon Slayer than you!"

"I'm the only one pal," Natsu retort as he held out his arms, fire swirling around them. " **Flames of my right hand, flames of my left hand, put 'em together and you get,** **Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!** " He pulled his arms together to try and burn Mors to a crisp, but then the flames died down, all Natsu saw was burned wood surrounding him.

"I told you, I can take the properties of anything I steal the life of," he reminded, "at least until I run out of that life's magic power. There is one that I slayed that I've been holding onto though."

"Like I care," Natsu yelled as he jumped up at him. " **Fire Dragon Claw!** " With a wave of his arm, Mors hit Natsu's leg and threw him away.

"Like I said, you can't beat me," Mors bragged. "Try as you might, you'll never be able to beat me."

"I won't give up," screamed Natsu, "cause you've gotta pay for trying to hurt Maddie!" He jumped in to punch, but Mors blocked it again, over and over.

"Hurt her," he asked, "you have it all wrong. We don't need to hurt her. We need her alive and unharmed. I just used a simple sleep charm on her that helped put together her memories a bit. There's only two people I needed to kill for this mission, and they're nice and dead."

"Who did you kill," he demanded as he brought his hands together again. " **Fire Dragon Wing Attack!** " Mors simply took a step to the left, easily avoiding the attack.

"Isn't it obvious," taunted Mors. "Maddie, as you call her, shows up here with no memories, but more importantly, no one to care for her. All alone."

"Shut up," said Natsu, glaring, "just shut up!"

"You're the one who asked," Mors pointed out.

"Well I don't wanna hear it anymore," shouted Natsu. "I can't believe what you're about to say! I refuse to hear it!" He took in a deep breath. " **Fire Dragon Roar!** " He aimed right for Mors, who simply disappeared before Natsu's attack could hit him.

"I'm tired of this fight," replied Mors. "I already know everything you can do. I don't want to bore myself to death. Get stronger, and I'll fight you."

"Come out here and face me you coward," Natsu bellowed. "Face me like a real man!" Mors didn't respond. "COME ON OUT YOU COWARD!"

* * *

Happy was still flying towards the guild as Maddie started to wake up.

"Hey Maddie, are you alright," Happy asked. When she full came to, she started screaming.

"Don't hurt me," she screamed. "Please don't! Mama, Papa!"

"Hey calm down," said Happy gently, "it's just me!" She started flailing around, her eyes completely unfocused, not seeing what was really in front of her. "Maddie stop or I'm gonna drop you! And that's not a threat, I can't keep a good grip if you keep squirming!"

"Leave them alone," she screamed as Happy lost his grip. As she fell down she just kept screaming, her eyes closed.

"MADDIE," called out Lucy as she ran towards her, her arms extended as Erza, Gray, Wendy and Carla ran behind her. "MADDIE I'M COMING!" Lucy ran towards her and managed to catch her, holding her tightly as she fell backwards from the impact. "I… got you Maddie…"

"What happened here," said Gray. "Why'd she fall out of the sky?!"

"It's all my fault," said Happy as he landed on the ground. "She started screaming and flailing around, I couldn't keep a good grip on her."

"It's not your fault," said Erza as she helped Lucy stand up while holding onto Maddie. "But why was she screaming?"

"It probably has something to do with that creepy guy in the mask," said Happy. "Natsu had me leave with her so he could fight him, but he put her under a spell of some sort. When she woke up from it she just started screaming, telling me not to hurt her."

"Let me see her," said Wendy as she held out her hands. "Maybe he hurt her and she thought he was going to again." Lucy uncurled her arms a bit and Wendy held her hands over Maddie, frowning. "She doesn't have any injuries. I don't know why she's so upset then."

"Perhaps she remembered something," suggested Erza. "If it wasn't a pleasant memory, then perhaps that's why she reacted the way she did." Lucy started to walk away.

"I'm gonna take Maddie home," she said softly. "She needs her rest."

"Shouldn't we take her to Master Makarov," asked Gray. "He needs to know."

"We don't know what happened," Lucy said. "I can take care of her by myself. You guys go tell Master Makarov what happened."

"Alright," said Erza softly, "but be careful." They all started heading back towards the guild, while Lucy walked to her apartment.

"Are we sure we should let her walk back by herself," Gray asked. "What if those creeps come after Maddie again?"

"Lucy can handle herself," Erza replied. "She's a powerful wizard with several powerful spirits. She'll be able to handle herself just fine." As something speeded towards them, Erza grabbed the back of its collar. "Natsu, what are you doing?"

"I gotta go get Maddie," he insisted, "or else that creep'll go after her again!"

"She's fine," Erza informed him. "Lucy has her and they're going back to her apartment. Right now, we need to go to the guild and tell Master Makarov what's happened. Happy says you fought her assailant. You need to tell us what happened, then you can go check up on Lucy."

"Fine," he pouted.

* * *

As Natsu told Master Makarov what happened, he nodded solemnly.

"I see," he said. "So Maddie is a victim. Well then, we can only try and help her. You called this the Underworld Origin organization Natsu?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, crossing his arms over his chest. "That creep used something called Reaper Magic. He stole the life of the plants and turned them into spells. I think he called it Emulation."

"Reaper Emulation is a powerful and dangerous magic," said Master Makarov. "All forms of Reaper Magic are. They've been banned for years, and all books on it as far as I know have been burned."

"Then how could this wizard have possibly used it," asked Erza. "If the information isn't there, then how is it still around?"

"I have no idea," Master Makarov said, rubbing his chin, "but this is very concerning. If they call themselves the Reaper Trio, then there are two more powerful wizards with the other types of Reaper Magic." He looked over at Gray. "Gray, I want you to stay at Lucy's apartment with Natsu, Happy and Maddie."

"No way," said Natsu, stepping forward. "If anyone's going to protect Maddie, it's gonna be me!"

"Reaper Magic is incredibly dangerous Natsu," Makarov warned.

"Would you quit being an egotistical hothead for five minutes here," argued Gray. "Maddie's life is in danger here and you want to try and tell her that she doesn't need extra protection?!"

"I think Gray's right," said Wendy. "She needs our help."

"I don't need your help droopy eyes," growled Natsu as he butted heads with Gray.

"What'd you say fire breath?!" Happy sighed.

"I saw this coming the moment Master Makarov said Gray should stay with us," he said with a shrug.

"I said I don't need your help!"

"You will when Mors beats your sorry butt back down to the pavement again!"

"We were in a forest and he didn't even touch me!"

"ENOUGH," Erza scolded as she pushed them away from each other. "You two can't be arguing when times are so dire!" She looked up at Master Makarov. "I will stay with them myself."

"No," said Master Makarov, "because you don't trust Maddie. How can you protect her properly when you can't even trust her?"

"What if I stay with them," suggested Wendy. "I trust Maddie."

"It does seem like the more peaceful solution," said Carla. "Besides, Wendy and Natsu seem to get along almost as well as he gets along with the tomcat or Lucy."

"I might consider that," said Makarov, "but your specialty is in healing and support magic. Aside from your actual attacks, your magic would be useless against Reaper Magic. Give me some time to think about it. All of you may go aside from Natsu. I need to speak with him alone." The others nodded and left the room.

"I need to go to Lucy's," said Natsu as he turned to walk out. "Whatever it is, it can wait. I can't relax until I see that Lucy and Maddie are safe."

"Natsu wait," said Makarov, "I know there's something you're not telling me. What is it?"

"It's nothing," he said.

"Natsu, it's clearly important," he said. "I need to know."

"It's not because I don't want to tell you," said Natsu as he clenched his fist, "but if I talk about it, I know I won't be able to keep myself from tearing apart everything in my way until I find Mors."

"Try and tell me anyway," insisted Master Makarov. "I can tell that it's important."

"That bastard," growled Natsu, "those bastards killed Maddie's parents in order to get her." His breath was ragged as he tried to keep his anger from getting out of control. "She's only a little girl! What the hell gives them the right to take away her family?!"

"Natsu," Makarov said softly, "I understand how enraged you must feel. But instead of getting angry, you need to protect her instead. Focus that anger into making sure she stays safe. Her parents may be gone, but with you, Happy, and Lucy looking out for her, I'm sure she'll turn out just fine. Plus she'll be raised in the best guild out there, Fairy Tail." He smiled. "Now go and be there for her, but wait for her to remember on her own. Don't tell her what happened."

"Fine," said Natsu as he walked out, taking in deep breaths as he walked over to Lucy's apartment.

* * *

Lucy sat next to the bed, her hand on Maddie's forehead as she slept.

"Oh Maddie," she said softly, "I'm sorry that I couldn't help protect you."

"It's not your fault," said Natsu as he came in behind her. Happy flew over to the bed and sat next to her head.

"I hope she's alright," Happy said as he looked down at her. "I wish we could've done more for her."

"It's not your fault," said Natsu as he sat at the foot of her bed. "It's no one's fault. What were we gonna do, go to the bathroom with her?"

"Still," said Lucy as she gently pushed Maddie's hair out of her face, "we promised to take care of her and we let this happen to her."

"We didn't let anything happen," Natsu pointed out. "It's no one's fault but the Underworld Origin's. And believe me, they're gonna pay." He clenched his fist. "I'll kill them myself if I have to."

"Natsu." Lucy gently put her hands over his fist. "It's okay. We'll stop them, I just know it." She smiled at him. "You saved me, Erza, Gray, all of us time and time again. You'll do it again, I believe in you."

"Lucy…" Before he could say anything else, Maddie made a small noise. "I think she's waking up." She slowly opened her eyes, sitting up in alarm before relaxing.

"Is he gone," she asked, whimpering as she pulled up the covers.

"Yeah," said Natsu with a smile, ruffling the top of her head. "Don't worry, you're safe now. I won't let anyone else hurt you."

"Neither of us will," insisted Lucy. "I'm so sorry about this."

"It's alright," said Maddie. "Thank you two for saving me." She looked down. "I'm sorry but I, I haven't been honest with you." Lucy, Happy, and Natsu all looked at each other.

"You can tell us Maddie," said Happy, putting his paws on her hands. "We trust you."

"I… I… I think I know where my memories are," she said as she pulled out her bag. "Every time I use a token I haven't used before, I see a memory relating to it. I can't use certain ones, but the ones I can use, it's like, like they're not ready yet. So far I'm only able to use three of them, the Wings, the Fire, and the Dragon Claws." She looked back at them. "With the fire I saw destruction, and with the wings a memory of my mama. The dragon claws showed me a memory of my papa. These are all the memories I have. And then," she started to sniffle, "when that wizard capture me, he made me remember something else. Something I wished I hadn't." She sobbed, her hands in her face. "I watched my mama and papa die, both of them. They died to save me, and they're never coming back!" She kept crying, almost screaming with how hard she was crying. "I'm all alone now!"

"Maddie," said Lucy as she gently pulled Maddie close to her, holding her tightly, "you're not alone. I know how you feel. My mom died when I was a little girl, and my father was so distant that even when I had people around, even with my spirits, I just felt so lonely." She looked towards Natsu, tearing up as she grabbed his hand. "And then I joined Fairy Tail. And with all the craziness of the guild, all the fights and reckless destruction, I managed to find a family in it that I would never trade for anything." She looked back down at Maddie. "Even if you have no more blood ties, I promise, you'll always have a family." Maddie looked up at her.

"P-Promise?"

"I promise." Maddie sobbed hard as she hugged Lucy and Natsu tightly.

* * *

That night, Lucy and Natsu shared the bed, with Maddie nuzzled in between them, while Happy slept on Natsu's side. The window was left slightly open with a gentle breeze coming in. Through the window came two very tiny orbs of light, one shining yellow and one shining red. The yellow orb sunk into Lucy's chest, with the red one following suit with Natsu.

* * *

Natsu was in a field with golden grass and gorgeous blue skies, filled with calm, fluffy white clouds.

"Hey," called out someone behind him.

"What," said Natsu as he turned around to see a man in his thirties, his face covered, but the body language calm and relaxed as he waved at Natsu.

"You've got my girl I see," he said. "Promise to take care of her?"

"You mean Maddie," Natsu asked.

"Maddie," repeated the man. "I guess that's the name he picked for her to hide with. But yeah her, please protect her. She means the world to me. I gave up everything to protect her." Natsu smiled.

"I promise on my honor as Igneel's son to protect her with my life," Natsu said proudly, his fist over his chest, "cause that's what it means to be a Fairy Tail Wizard!" Natsu caught a glimpse of the man's smile before he faded away.

* * *

Lucy was in an identical field to the one Natsu was in, watching the clouds be pushed through the sky by the breeze.

"It's so peaceful here," she said to herself.

"Lucy," said a woman behind her. Like with the man in Natsu's dream, Lucy couldn't see any details of the woman in front of her, but she could see the smile on her face.

"Who are you," she asked, taking a few steps towards her.

"I can't tell you," the woman replied, "but I can tell you that I'm the girl's mother, the one you call Maddie."

"You are," Lucy asked in shock. "But Maddie said she watched you die!"

"That's true," the woman confirmed with a sad smile, "I am only visiting you with just a small fraction of my spirit. I can't even be here fully."

"Why not," Lucy asked. "And why are you visiting me and not Maddie?"

"I'm… not allowed to," she replied. "I'm taking a huge risk by doing this alone. But I just had to come. Lucy, you have to protect Maddie. No matter what, she has to live. She means the world to me, more than anything. Please," tears started streaming down her face, "you have to protect her!"

"You can count on me," Lucy promised with a thumbs up and a smile. "I'll protect Maddie with my life! I promise, as long as I'm alive, I won't let any harm come to her!"

"Thank you," said Maddie's mother with a sense of relief, taking Lucy's hands. "I know you'll keep that promise. Get strong, and use that strength for her, and your loved ones. Please, treat Maddie like your own daughter since I won't be able to raise her."

"I will!"

"Thank you," she said softly as she started to fade away. "I know I can trust you."

"You can trust me," called out Lucy as the woman started to fly up into the sky. "Maddie will never be hurt ever again! We'll defeat Underworld Origin, you can count on us!"

"I know."

* * *

Maddie yawned, rubbing her eyes as she looked at Natsu and Lucy, who were both smiling and holding onto her. She saw as the two glowing orbs slowly floated out of them, staring at them as if they were staring back at her.

"Mama," she asked, tilting her head. "Papa?" She could almost see their smiles. As they spun around her, and she knew that she heard those three words from them, the ones she needed to hear.

"We love you," they both said as they flew out the window.

"I love you too," she replied softly as she teared up.

* * *

On the outskirts of Magnolia, a man with a skull mask held out his hand as he retrieved the two orbs.

"Naughty little souls aren't you," he said as he pulled out two much larger orbs of identical color. "You knew you couldn't escape so you sent off just a fraction of your soul. How clever. But now you'll face punishment."

"It was worth it," said the red orb. "Those two will kick your sorry butts!"

"They'll never stop fighting to protect her," agreed the yellow orb. "Our daughter will never fall into your nefarious hands!"

"That's what you think," he said as lightning crackled across the orbs, making them both cream. "And now you must face your punishment for defying me, Thanatos, the Soul Reaper!"


	4. A Stolen Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an attempt to get what they want from the guild, Underworld Origin kidnaps Lucy to try to barter with the guild. Lucy's safe return for Maddie Harneel.

Erza sat in her room as she held the communication lacrima Jellal had given her, with Jellal's face in it.

"I see," he said. "Underworld Origin. I've never heard of this guild. I know nothing of their goals or why they'd want such a young child."

"They call themselves an organization," said Erza, "but that surprises me the most. Anyone working collaboratively with magic is classified as a magical guild. Aside from the Rune Knights, I'm not aware of any other sort of magical work."

"Not if they don't take magical jobs," said Jellal. "Dark guilds, light guilds, even our independent guild, we all have one thing in common. We take jobs from the community in order to make a living. Crime Sorciére takes jobs from time to time. A majority of them are put up by citizens of towns that have been overrun by dark guilds that have managed to escape our eye."

"And you take money for that," Erza asked in surprise. "That doesn't sound like you."

"We don't," he assured. "We just take supplies. Food and clothing if our clothes are worn. Some other kinds of supplies as well, but never money."

"I see," she replied with a smile. "Well, that makes sense."

"Regardless," said Jellal, "I'll keep an ear to the ground about this Underworld Origin Organization. But, if I had to make a guess as to why they want her, I'd say it has something to do with her unique magic power. And perhaps she uses the tokens so that she can try to throw off the organization."

"The thought occurred to me as well," said Erza, "but why? What do they need her for? Natsu said that they didn't only need her alive, but unhurt as well."

"It doesn't sound like any spell I know," said Jellal. "All dark spells that I know, and all of Zeref's spells that need someone alive don't necessarily need them unharmed. Even the R System didn't require that."

"I see," she replied as she put her chin on her hands, closing her eyes. "So then it must be either a newly created spell, or one so old that we don't know anything about it." She looked back at the lacrima. "I'll try and ask Levy to look into it. Out of everyone in the guild. I think she'd be the most capable. Perhaps Freed would be able to work on it as well once he and the rest of the Thunder Legion get back from their job. When those two work together, they can do anything."

"Then let's hope they can get back quickly," said Jellal as Erza yawned. When he saw that he couldn't help but smile. "Erza, you shouldn't stay up so late just so you can talk to me."

"I'm not," she argued. "I normally stay up this late."

"I can tell you're lying," he teased. "I will hang up if you don't first. Now go to bed."

"Fine," she said, smiling. "Good night Jellal."

"Good night Erza." She put her hand on top of the lacrima, making Jellal's face disappear. "It's… nice to be able to talk to him regularly now."

* * *

Maddie was soaking in Lucy's tub by herself, sunk down to just under her nose.

"Will everything be okay," she asked herself. "Everyone's been so nice to me, but now there's bad people after me, and after Fairy Tail too." The image of her parents falling came to her head came to mind. She gripped her head tightly, shaking it a bit. "Why do they want me? Why did they have to kill my mama and papa?!"

"Princess," said Virgo, who appeared in the bathroom out of nowhere. Maddie screamed her head off when she saw the woman.

"GET AWAY FROM MEEEEEEEEE!" Lucy threw the door open when she heard her screaming.

"Virgo why are you interrupting her bath," Lucy barked.

"I simply came to help," she assured. "We've seen everything that's been going on through the Celestial Spirit World. I thought now would be a good opportunity to give this to young Maddie." She held up a blue dress with stars along the trim and circular flounce sleeves. "It's the latest fashion for children in the Celestial Spirit World. I think it suits you well."

"Let her finish her bath first Virgo," said Lucy as she dragged her out.

"Is it punishment time Princess?" Maddie couldn't help but laugh as she watched Lucy drag away Virgo.

* * *

Maddie came out of her bath, wearing pajamas.

"Okay I'm done!" She came out and saw Lucy sitting on the bed. "Where are Natsu and Happy?"

"I don't know," said Lucy as she stood up. "They left a while ago, didn't tell me where. But I'm sure they'll be back before nightfall."

"Can I do what I came here for now Princess," asked Virgo as she once again appeared out of nowhere, when nobody asked her to.

"Fine," said Lucy with an annoyed sigh. "What did you want to do? And it better not be weird!"

"Nothing of the sort," said Virgo as she held up a dress. "Since Maddie is under your care now, we Celestial Spirits wanted to give her a gift."

"It's night time," argued Lucy. "She's about to go to bed, she can't be wearing that!"

"Then I shall return with it in the morning," said Virgo as she disappeared in a flash of light.

"Why me," Lucy whined. Maddie laughed.

"The maid lady is really nice," she said with a bright smile. "Are all your spirits like that?"

"Some of them are nice yeah," she said with a smile as she sat back down on the bed, patting the seat next to her as Maddie jumped up on the bed. "Cancer is nice and makes the best hair styles, and Loke is a great fighter! All of my spirits have their strengths and weaknesses."

"I'd like to meet them all someday," she said with a smile. "They all sound like a lot of fun."

"Some of them are," agreed Lucy, "and some of them," Aquarius and Taurus came to her mind, "some of them I don't even wanna think about." She looked at Maddie and smiled. "But now's not the time to think about that. It's time for you to go to bed."

"Okay, said Maddie as she curled up under the blankets. "Night Lucy." Lucy went to the edge of the room and turned off the lights before lying next to Maddie.

"Good night Maddie." They both closed their eyes and easily fell asleep.

* * *

Natsu and Happy came back long after Maddie and Lucy were sound asleep. Natsu stood over the two of them, looking at Maddie.

"I still don't understand why anyone wants someone so young," he said softly as he gently rubbed the top of her head.

"Maybe it has something to do with her magic," suggested Happy. "Erza did say that Jellal felt a weird magic power coming from her."

"I don't know, maybe," he said. "I just wish there'd been something when we went back there today. The grass is all still dead, but there wasn't even a trace of his scent. Only this residual, dark feeling. I know I've felt it before, but I just, I can't remember from where."

"It's alright," said Happy. "We'll stop them." Natsu nodded, looking down at Maddie and Lucy.

"I know." He looked down at the bed. "Man, why did Lucy have to be on the open side?"

"Maybe she wants you to sleep next to her," Happy teased.

"Nah, I think she just forgot about me sleeping in the bed with them," Natsu replied. "Well, I'll just have to sleep next to Lucy tonight instead." He crawled into the bed, holding Lucy. "Man this feels weird." He closed his eyes.  _"But it also feels… kinda nice…"_

* * *

Lucy yawned in the morning, waking up and seeing Maddie in front of her, sleeping peacefully.

 _"She looks even younger than she already is in her sleep,"_  she noted with a smile as she stretched, before stopping, realizing she felt something around her waist and pressed up against her back.  _"Huh?"_  She turned around to see Natsu's face way to close to hers. She screamed internally and couldn't help but blush at just how close he was, too close in fact. For once, he wasn't snoring, and was actually rather peaceful in his sleep.  _"Why is he so close?! And why is he holding me like that?!"_  She pulled away just a little bit, but when she did Natsu's grip tightened and just pulled her closer. She could almost feel her heart pounding in her chest when he did that.  _"What should I do?! I can't just kick him off the bed, it might wake up Maddie! And what'll happen if Happy wakes up and sees us like this?!"_  She could just see him teasing her endlessly, should he wake up to see this sight. Lucy tried to push Natsu away slowly, but his grip kept getting tighter.  _"Off off off off off off!"_  Slowly, Natsu's eyes opened as he yawned before smiling at her.

"Morning," he said simply, as if they wole up like this all the time. Once he did that, Lucy shoved him off the bed.

"What do you think you're doing," she harshly whispered. "What kind of a stunt were you trying to pull?!"

"Ow," said Natsu as he rubbed his head, "I was just doing what I've been doing ever since that creep nabbed Maddie. You were on the open side of the bed though so that's where I slept. Why'd you freak out about that? And why are you whispering?"

"Because you creeped me out doing that," she whisper yelled, "and I'm whispering because Maddie's still sleeping!" She sighed and got out of the bed. "Whatever. Where were you last night?"

"Happy and I went back to the forest to try and gather clues," he said. "That's where I was all day yesterday, but there was nothing. All I felt was this strange magic power that felt familiar, but I don't know from where. Either way, I don't have a good feeling about that Mors guy."

"I get what you mean," she said as she walked away. "Well, get ready for the day. Let Maddie sleep while I cook us up some breakfast." She started to walk away.

"Man what's her deal," he asked as he folded his arms over his chest. "It's not a big deal or anything." He got up and went into his pack. "Well, better go change." He grabbed his clothes and went into the bathroom.

* * *

Lucy was downstairs, stirring in some puréed strawberries into some pancake batter.

"I hope they like my mom's recipe," she said with a smile. "Geez, I haven't had this recipe in years." She started to pour the batter into a frying pan. "This takes me back."

"What'cha making," said Happy as he flew behind her.

"Oh Happy, when did you get up," she asked as she flipped a pancake.

"I've been up," he said as he smelled the batter. "What's that? Pancakes?"

"Yep," she said with a nod and a smile, paying attention to it. "I'm making breakfast for everyone. And don't worry, I made some… oddly made and kinda gross fishy pancakes for you."

"Lucy, you really love me," he cheered.

"Yeah. Now, why don't you help me and start frying up the rest of the bacon once you're done eating," she suggested. "That way it'll all come together faster and then we can go to the guild together."

"Okay," said Happy as he put the bacon in another skillet and started frying it. "Why'd you decide to make breakfast Lucy? This is the first time you've cooked for us."

"I don't know," she said honestly. "I just really wanted my mom's strawberry pancakes again. But pancakes aren't a meal on their own, so I got out the bacon and the eggs."

"Didn't you live in a big house though," asked Happy. "Why would your mom make breakfast?"

"Oh, my mom wasn't born rich," she replied as she put a finished pink pancake on a plate. "She was born to a family of farmers. My dad was born into a regular family too. My dad became rich after I was born, when I was just a baby. The only one in my family who was actually born into the wealth was me." She couldn't help but laugh. "It made my dad think that he was better than everyone, that we were better than everyone, but I'm glad he saw the light." She smiled as she finished up the pancakes. "Alright, breakfast is almost ready. Happy, you can fry the eggs and I'll set the table!"

"Aye sir!" Lucy started setting the table, putting out four plates with forks and knives, putting out the fixings for pancakes.

"Alright," she said with a smile as she put her hands together, "now I'll go wake up Maddie!" She ran up to her room, where Natsu was helping Maddie put on a shirt.

"Stop squirming," he said as he tried to put it on, "I can't get it on!"

"But I don't wanna get dressed," she complained. "I wanna go back to bed!" Lucy hung back behind the doorway to watch.

"Come on, Lucy's making breakfast," he said.

"I said I don't wanna," she replied as she ran to the bed, crawling on it. Natsu laughed.

"Oh, so you wanna fight huh," he said. "Well I won't show you any mercy!" He jumped up, trying to tackle her.

"Can't catch me," Maddie said with a smile as she jumped back off the bed.

"He's so good with her," said Lucy softly with a smile. "You know, I bet that when Natsu gets older, he'll be a really good dad." Maddie kept running around the room, giggling as Natsu tried to put her shirt on.

"Come on now," he said as he jumped at her and wrapped his arms around her, "got ya!"

"No fair," she pouted. He sat her down and put the shirt on.

"But at least we had fun," he said as he scooped her up, putting her on his waist. "Now come on, Lucy's made some awesome breakfast." Maddie nodded as she heard that line in her head.

* * *

" _Now come on, your mom's made some awesome breakfast!"_

* * *

 _"The way Natsu said that reminds me of the way my papa said it once,"_  she thought to herself.

 _"Oops, I gotta run back to the dining room,"_  thought Lucy as she ran back into the dining room. She waited for them to come in before smiling. "Dig in everyone!"

"Strawberry pancakes," said Maddie happily as she squirmed out of Natsu's arms and sat at the table, clasping her hands together. "Thanks for the yummy looking food!" Lucy smiled and served it up to everyone.

"Dig in guys!" Everyone took a big bite. "Wow, they taste just like I remember!"

"I didn't know you could cook so well Lucy," said Natsu as he ate.

"Well Happy helped," she informed, "but the pancakes are my mom's recipe. That one I did all on my own. It takes a bit to make, but I'm glad I did."

"Well you did a great job," said Natsu as he ate three in one bite.

"Thanks!"

* * *

"A spell that needs someone unharmed and alive," asked Levy as Erza explained the situation. "That sounds very familiar to me, but I just can't remember from where. I'll definitely be looking into it!"

"Please do," said Erza. "If anyone can find this spell, it's you."

"I'll do my best," she said with a smile.

"I'm sure your best will be plenty," said Erza with confidence. "You're the most well read person I know."

"Well I do enjoy reading," she said with a small blush. "I'll go back to Fairy Hills and check out my books. I might head to the library in Crocus if I can't find anything here."

"Sounds like a plan, but you should bring someone with you," said Erza as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You're perfectly capable on your own, but with everything going on, I'd be much more comfortable with you taking someone with you."

"If I can't find anything in my library then I'll go ahead and leave in the next couple of hours," Levy promised. "But I really don't think I need anyone. I'm just going on a library trip."

"If you insist." She looked at the door as Natsu, Maddie, and Happy came to the guild.

"Natsu," called out Mira from the bar, "ready to get some breakfast?"

"Nah," said Natsu with a smile as he picked up Maddie and put her on a bar stool, "we ate breakfast at Lucy's."

"Really," said Mira in surprise, "I didn't know she could cook."

"Is it any good," asked Lisanna with a smile.

"It was super good," said Maddie with a big smile. "The best pancakes ever!"

"She made fishy ones just for me," said Happy brightly.

"How come she's never cooked for the rest of us," asked Gray as he walked up behind them, not wearing a shirt.

"Dude, put on a shirt," said Natsu with a glare as he covered Maddie's eyes. "Seriously, you can't just be stripping in front of a kid!"

"I guess you have the authority on this since you are a kid," said Gray with an annoyed glare. "Why are you just now caring? I've done this in front of Asca before."

"We'd rather you didn't," said Bisca.

"Yeah, please stop," added Alzack.

"My darling Gray can strip for me anytime," cheered Juvia as she grabbed his arm, giving Gray a creeped out expression.

"Stop giving people the wrong idea," he yelled at her as he pulled his arm out of her grasp.

"Looks like things are getting lively in here," said Wendy with an exasperated smile.

"Don't watch them child," said Carla as she drank some tea. "I'd rather you not catch their stupid. You're a smart girl with a promising future."

"Come on Carla, they're our friends," said Wendy.

"I know," said Carla curtly. "That doesn't mean they don't need to learn some manners."

"If a fight's gonna break out, at least step away from the bar," complained Cana. "Last time you fought near the bar you broke all the caskets and bottles and we were out of booze for a week. Worst week of my life."

"I think Cana's right," said Mira, "or at least step away from the children. Just cause we were all monsters as children and had enormous strength doesn't mean Asca and Maddie are."

"I'm strong," said Asca as she held up one of her toy guns. "I'm the best sharpshooter in the whole guild!"

"And I'm a wizard too," Maddie pouted. "I can fight!"

"Now the tots are trying to fight," said Gajeel with a smile.

"Don't encourage them Gajeel," Pantherlily replied. "They're only children. They won't be able to keep up with the rest of them."

"Besides, we just got this place back," said Macao. "Don't destroy it before we've had a chance to really enjoy the guildhall."

"If this place got wrecked I think the Master would cry his head off," said Wakaba.

"That we would," agree Macao. "That he would."

"Hey, where's Lucy," asked Warren. "You guys have been coming in together just about every day."

"That's true," said Max. "Where is Lucy?"

"She went shopping," said Natsu. "Maddie really doesn't have much for clothes so Lucy went to go get her some."

"Lucy's a real man," praised Elfman.

"That's considered a feminine activity though," said Mira.

"But shouldn't Maddie be with her," asked Erza as she walked up to them. "Why'd you come here?"

"Cause I like it here," said Maddie with a shrug. "Lucy just had Virgo take my measurement sand they're going to get clothes based off of that."

"I see," said Erza. "Well I'm sure she'll find some lovely outfits for you."

"I don't really care about clothes," Maddie replied, kicking her feet a bit. "I'd rather spend time with everybody than shop! So I hope Lucy gets back real soon!"

"I heard someone say they're hoping someone gets back real soon," said Laxus as he opened the doors to the guildhall, Evergreen, Bixlow, and Freed behind him.

"Oh hey Laxus," said Natsu with a smile. "Ready to fight?!"

"Why must you always fight him as soon as we get back from a job," said Evergreen in annoyance. "We just got done fighting an entire dark guild. Let us have a break."

"So where's the stew," asked Bixlow as he sat at the bar. "I'm hungry!"

"He's hungry," echoed his babies.

"I'll get some right away," said Mira as she went back into the kitchens.

"And who is this," asked Freed as he looked over at Maddie. "I don't recognize her."

"Oh this is Maddie," said Natsu as he ruffled up her hair. "She's been staying with Lucy and me."

"You and Lucy," echoed Laxus. "When did you two move in together?"

"It's a long story," said Natsu as Maddie stared up at Laxus.

"What are you staring at," he asked.

"You look really tall," she said as she held up her arms. "You're just huge. I wanna be huge too!" He couldn't help but laugh when she said that, so he picked her up and placed her on his shoulders.

"Well then wish granted."

* * *

Lucy was in a shop, picking up different outfits and checking their sizes before purchasing them, going to the next store.

"This is kinda fun," said Lucy with a smile. "I just wish Maddie had actually wanted to come." She thought about the way Natsu and Maddie had been that morning, with Natsu chasing her around to get her dressed. "But it's good to have those two spend time together."

"Excuse me ma'am," said a handsome man with combed back black hair and blue eyes, wearing a suit, "but those bags look heavy. Would you mind having a little help?"

"Oh, thank you," she said in surprise, "but I'm all good over here. They're just clothes after all."

"I see," he replied with a smile. "In that case, let me accompany you! I'm sure it's no fun for someone to walk by themselves."

"Well uh, okay," replied Lucy, a little creeped out.  _"What is this guy's deal? I can't just say no to him since he's being polite, but he's too pushy."_

"So where are you heading, miss…?"  
"Fairy Tail," she replied. "I'm a guild member there. And I'm Lucy."

"What a lovely name," he praised with a smile. "Lucy, so what kind of a wizard are you? Fairy Tail is a magical guild after all."

"Oh, uh, I'm a Celestial Wizard," she said as she took a slight step away from him. "Why? Are you a wizard too?"

"You could say that," he replied with a sly smile. "But I'd rather not talk about that." He put his arm around her waist. "Why not talk about dinner plans?"

"Back off," said Loke as he opened his own gate, pushing the man away from her. "Touch her again and that'll be the last breath you ever take."

"Loke," exclaimed Lucy with relief, "thank goodness! This guy was really creeping me out!"

"Run," said Loke, his glasses glinting as he looked at his opponent seriously.

"What?"

"He's dangerous Lucy," said Loke as he turned to her, throwing his arm out, "now run!" It was almost as if she was watching it in slow motion. Before she could warn Loke, the man in the suit took out a scarlet lacrima that turned into a sword that he ran Loke through with.

" _ **LOKE!**_ "

* * *

Natsu stood up suddenly.

"What's wrong," asked Mira.

"I just heard Lucy scream," he said. "Laxus, look after Maddie, I'm going after her! Come on Happy!"

"Aye sir!"

"Natsu wait," called out Gray as Natsu ran out the door. "That damn idiot!" He ran after him.

"I'm coming too," said Erza as she ran out.

"If Lucy's in danger then I want to help," said Wendy. "Come on Carla!"

"Why must he always be so reckless," Carla complained as she went with Wendy.

"Because Natsu's an idiot who thinks with his gut and not his head," Erza answered.

"But that's saved us plenty in the past," Wendy reminded them.

* * *

Lucy was staring at Loke, who was bleeding out starlight from his stomach.

"Stop staring," he said. "I'll go back to the Spirit World and be fine. You need to run!"

"But you're hurt," she argued.

"Dammit Lucy just run!" She hesitated, but started to run, tearing up.

"I'm sorry Loke," she said softly while he smiled, turning back to the man.

"Now," he struggled out, "tell me your name."

"You don't need to know that," he replied as he pulled out another lacrima, this one an icy blue. "All you need to know is that you're unfortunately safe." He put a hand over his face and it was replaced with a skull mask. "My Soul Reaper doesn't work on Celestial Spirits, only humans and animals."

"You use Reaper Magic," Loke said dumbfoundedly. "But that's a forbidden magic!"

"You've got that right!" He held out the blue lacrima.

"So then you murder people and turn their souls into lacrimas that only you can control," Loke said as he crumpled to the ground. "I-I'm sorry Lucy, I can't stay. Please, stay safe." He disappeared in a flash of golden light, while the masked man smirked.

"Now, to get my bargaining chip."

* * *

Lucy kept running, heading towards where Fairy Tail was as she cried.

"I'm sorry Loke," she sobbed, "I promise I'll make this up to you but please don't die!"

"Lucy," called out Natsu as he and Happy ran towards her.

"Are you alright," Happy asked. She smiled in relief before feeling her vision fade and passing out.

"LUCY!" As Lucy fell, Natsu stopped, seeing a man in a skull mask behind her, holding a glowing yellow lacrima as he caught Lucy with one arm. " _ **Let her go you sick bastard!**_ " His whole body erupted in furious flames as he jumped forward, but before he could hit the one responsible, the man disappeared. " _ **Get your sorry ass back here before I turn you into a pile of ASHES!**_ "

"I'll come back at midnight at the oak in the park," his voice echoed as Erza, Gray, Wendy, and Carla stopped behind Natsu as he looked around furiously before falling to his knees, a dark expression on his face. "Bring the girl or suffer the consequences. And don't bring anyone but her." Gray got on a knee as he picked up Lucy's key holster.

"He took her keys off her belt so she wouldn't even have her spirits to help," he said as he gripped them tightly. "That damn bastard."

"Bring the girl," echoed Erza. "He must want Maddie. He's probably a part of the Underworld Origin organization."

"What should we do," asked Wendy. "We can't just give Maddie over to them! That's not right."

"Well what other options do we have then," asked Carla. "Think child. We're not going to give up Maddie, but we must come up with a reasonable plan to get Lucy back."

"We have to come up with something," said Erza as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Let's go back to the guild." She looked back at Natsu. "Natsu, get up. We need to get back so we can figure out how to save Lucy."

"Why," he asked as he slammed a fist on the ground, his entire face covered in shadows so no one could see his expressions. "Why are we always saving her? Why is it that she keeps getting taken from us in one way or another?!" He couldn't help but remember as he watched the future Lucy die, yet another of the countless times he'd lost Lucy, only that time it had been more permanent. "When are we gonna learn how to protect her properly?! Why can't we just do this  _one thing right?!_ "

"Natsu," Happy said softly as he nuzzled into Natsu's side, "it's not your fault. It's no one's fault but his."

"We're all to blame," said Erza honestly as she got on her knees, gently putting her hand on Natsu's shoulders. "You're right Natsu. We should be able to protect her, but more so, we've failed to help her learn to protect herself. We'll get her back Natsu. We all will, and we'll do our best to make sure that this never happens again."

"I just," Natsu struggled out as tears fell to the ground, "I just don't know why I always have to save her. Why can't I just protect her properly in the first place?"

"Come on Natsu," said Erza, "let's figure out how to save her for the very last time. Because from now on, we won't have to."

"Yeah," he said softly as he stood up, wiping his eyes before looking at the sky in fury. "You'd better not hurt her, because you have the wrath of Fairy Tail coming down on you!"

* * *

Everyone in the guild stood in a circle, Master Makarov in the center of it, his eyes closed and his face down in a thoughtful expression.

"I see," he said. "This is troubling. They couldn't get Maddie alone again, so now they're taking hostages? This means no member in Fairy Tail is safe alone anymore." He looked up at all of his children. "We must all stay together until we learn more about this underworld Origin organization. Until we can figure out how they work and bring them down. Since they aren't a guild, not even a dark guild, then we should be able to take them down without the Magic Council coming down on our heads."

"This is my fault," said Maddie as she started to sob, standing in front of Natsu. "They took Lucy because of me. It's my fault, it's all my fault. I brought this on Fairy Tail." She started sobbing heavily as Natsu picked her up, holding her face to his shoulder.

"It's not your fault," he said softly as he smoothed her hair. "It's not your fault, don't blame yourself."

"But they're after me," she argued back. "They took Lucy to get me! I should give myself up!"

"Never," he growled out. "They're never getting their hands on you. I won't let them."

"Can someone fill us in," asked Evergreen. "What is this organization and why do they want a little girl?"

"And why would they go so far as to kidnap one of our guild members," asked Freed.

"None of this sits right with me," said Laxus as he crossed his arms. "Something's up with this whole situation."

"It's stinky," chimed Bixlow.

"Stinky, stinky," echoed his babies.

"I understand why you'd say that," said Master Makarov, "but keep in mind that we don't know much of anything honestly. We're pouring all our resources into learning about this Underworld Origin and so far we've come up with nothing. We do know however that they eliminated Maddie's family in order to get to her. We know that they want her alive and unharmed, but beyond that, we're coming up with nothing."

"I was actually about to head to Crocus to visit the library there," said Levy. "I don't have any information on spells like this, but Crocus has the largest collection of magical books in all of Ishgar itself. If I can get there, then I can hopefully find the spell. I might be gone for a while though. The library is so huge, even with my windreader glasses, it could take days, or even weeks. If I could get a higher quality pair though I could cut down my time."

"I think it's a good plan," said Master Makarov, "but take Gajeel and Pantherlily with you for protection. Even if you're out of Magnolia, I still want you protected."

"Why not us," called out Jet and Droy.

"The point is to protect Levy, and she's always protecting you two," Makarov pointed out, which while they both tried to find a reason to argue, came up short and just sighed.

"Don't worry," teased Gajeel as he pat the top of her head, "I'll keep the bookworm safe."

"We both will," promised Pantherlily. "We'll get ready to leave for Crocus immediately."

"Please don't let this be like Tenrou Island," Levy prayed to whatever spirits or gods might have been listening, and yet none answered.

"And as for rescuing Lucy, we don't have much of a choice," sighed the master. "Natsu and Maddie will have to go alone. I'd rather send Mira in place of her disguised as Maddie, but I don't know if it'll work. Some people can easily see through transformation spells. It's too risky, and I don't want to put Lucy's life at risk because we tried to trick them."

"I agree," said Natsu. "I'm gonna go there, and I'm gonna fight them!"

"I can't agree with this plan," Erza broke in. "You want to send Natsu in without any back up to an unknown enemy?!"

"It's the only option we have," Master Makarov said firmly. "Come midnight tonight, Natsu and Maddie will go to Southgate Park, alone, and rescue Lucy." He looked over at Maddie. "But believe me when I say everyone will be coming back from this, Maddie included."

"We'll get her back," Natsu promised everyone. "I won't come back until I have both Lucy and Maddie with me safe and sound!"

"We're all counting on you," said Gray. "Get our friend back safe and sound."

"Oh Lucy," said Juvia as she folded her hands together, too worried about her friend to think about how Gray worried too, "I hope that wherever you are, you'll be alright. Please, be safe."

* * *

The man in the skull mask laughed as he twirled three different lacrimas in his hand, in a room that seemed to be made of pure darkness.

"So, what will it be Natsu Dragneel," he mused. "Will you choose to save the girl, or save your beloved?" He laughed once more as he lifted up his hand, and out from the darkness came Lucy in what looked like a glass coffin, passed out and her hands bounds with dark binds. "Choose wisely young Dragneel, for you can't save them both!"


	5. Promise to Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Levy leaves for Crocus, Natsu faces off against Thanatos for Lucy's safe return. The rest of the team waits for their return, worrying over whether or not everyone will return home safe and sound. As Carla has another vision, forboding and dark, it leaves everyone to wonder, how far will Underworld Origin go?

Levy was at Fairy Hills, packing up her stuff while Gajeel and Pantherlily watched.

"You know, you don't have to be here while I'm packing right," she asked in annoyance as she zipped up her bag. "Besides, I don't think that boys are allowed to be in the Fairy Hills building."

"You needed someone to protect you," reasoned Pantherlily as he polished Musica. "This was the best way we could make sure nothing happened to you."

"I appreciate that," Levy said honestly with a smile before holding up her pack, "but I think I would've been fine for the five minute walk it would've taken me to get from the guild to here."

"I ain't takin' the risk," said Gajeel as he swiped her pack away from her, throwing it over his shoulder. "We already lost Lucy, I ain't gonna take the chance that someone else could get taken." She blushed a bit when he took her bag.

"I can carry my own bag you know."

"I know that." He smirked at her. "But you need your hands free to use your magic don't you? I have a few tricks up my sleeve that don't need my hands. You can't write if you don't have hand space." He gestured his head towards the door. "Now come on, we got a lot of walking to do."

"Walking?" Her confusion turned to frustration when she realized why he wanted to walk. "You seriously wanna walk that whole distance just because you get motion sick?!"

"Do you want me to puke on your lap," he asked. "If you don't wanna walk the whole way I can just carry ya." Levy couldn't think of a response due how much that surprised her, just blushing heavily at the thought.

"Gajeel, Levy is perfectly capable of keeping up," chided Pantherlily as he crossed his arms over his chest. "She's kept up with us multiple times. Give her more credit. She's far stronger than you realize."

"Y-Yeah, that's right," Levy managed to say, but still sounding flustered. "But we're not walking!"

"I told ya woman, I ain't taking no damn train!"

"How come Natsu can handle it but you can't," she challenged, smirking as he tried to come up with something, but ultimately becoming angry instead.

"I can do everything a hell of a lot better than Salamander," he bellowed. "Come on Levy!" he stormed out of the room and making her laugh.

"That was just too easy!"

"At least it worked," said Pantherlily. "Not that I couldn't walk to Crocus, but I would rather avoid doing something like that."

"Come on you two," called out Gajeel.

* * *

Natsu held Lucy's key holster, standing in her apartment as he stared at the holster, flipping it open and exposing them to the moonlight bleeding in from Lucy's window.

"I promise, I'll get her back," he swore to them, knowing they could hear him. "I know you can't get through with her so far away, but I promise that I won't let anything happen to her." He gripped them tightly as Maddie came out of the bathroom, wearing the outfit that Virgo had attempted to give her the night before.

"Natsu, why am I wearing this," she asked.

"I don't know," he answered honestly as he looked at her. "Call it a feeling. Virgo usually has a reason for giving people stuff."

"Where's Happy," she asked, looking around.

"I asked Wendy to take care of him," he answered as he placed the holster on his belt before picking up Maddie. "I knew he'd try to come if I didn't have someone watch him. This, this is the first time in almost 7 years that I've gone anywhere without him."

"I'll do my best to be Happy then," Maddie declared as she tried to give him a catlike smile. "Aye sir!" Even though the situation felt grim, he couldn't help but laugh at Maddie's behavior.

"You don't gotta be Happy. Just be Maddie, and we'll get Lucy back no problem." He looked out at the sky from the window. "Ready to go on an adventure?"

"Yeah," she said brightly.

* * *

Laxus walked back into the guildhall, now dark and empty of all short of his grandfather, who was sitting cross-legged on the bar with his head down and his eyes closed. As he walked forward, closing the door, Master Makarov opened his eyes, looking up at his grandson.

"You were gone for quite sometime on that mission," he noted. "Three weeks. That's the longest you've been on a job so far. Even when you take an SS Class job it doesn't take this long."

"Well a lot happened on that mission," Laxus said. "What of it? Gildarts was gone for three years once."

"I expected hm to be gone longer," Makarov replied. "You didn't even take an S Class job. You took a regular one. What took you and the rest of the Thunder Legion so long to get back?"

"You really wanna know?"

"Of course." Makarov looked up a bit, as if he were looking at the sky. "Did it have anything to do with Ivan? After that embarrassment that Ivan put himself through at the Grand Magic Games, I expect he isn't done with Fairy Tail yet. He'll be back."

"It wasn't anything with Ivan," Laxus stated. "It was something completely different. I don't even know how I'd begin to explain it. No one else in the Thunder Legion seems to remember the incident short of me, and I have no idea why. So if you try to ask them, they'll be confused. They don't even know how long we were gone."

"How long do they think you were gone for," Makarov asked hesitantly.

"They think we were gone for as long as the job took plus travel. Gramps, they think we were gone for five days."

* * *

Natsu stood in front of the oak at Southgate Park, holding Maddie on his hip as he awaited the man who kidnapped Lucy. He found himself staring at where Levy, Droy, and Jet had once been crucified, the symbol of Phantom Lord painted on Levy's exposed stomach. For just a second, his mind replaced that image with the thought of Lucy crucified similarly, but instead of the Phantom Lord symbol, he just saw blood. The thought made him shake in anger. He closed his eyes hard, and when he opened them, it was just a tree.

"Natsu, it's gonna be okay, right," Maddie asked, clutching his shirt tightly.

"Yeah," he promised. "It'll be okay." The bell tower chimed at midnight, and the moment it did, the man in the skull mask appeared on a branch of the tree.

"I see you followed my instructions," he remarked. "I was expecting you to bring your whole guild. A shame that you didn't." He lifted up his hand, the glass casket holding Lucy appearing, floating in the air. Her body was covered in bruises and scars, and Natsu suspected from the locations of some of the bruises that Lucy might have a few broken ribs.

"Lucy," gasped out Maddie, covering her mouth as she teared up. She couldn't help but feel the guilt well up in her stomach.

"I was rather enjoying the thought of punishing her for your breaking of the rules," said the man. Natsu's eyes almost became slits as he looked at the condition Lucy was in.

"You bastard," he called out. "What did you do to her?!"

"I got bored." He shrugged. "What else did you expect me to do while I waited for you to arrive? Just sit here looking pretty? That's simply not my style."

"Who the hell do you think you are," screamed Natsu as he put Maddie down so he wouldn't hurt her in his anger. "What right do you have to do this to Lucy?!"

"My name is Thanatos," he revealed, "and I am the Soul Reaper. Now," he held out his arm to Natsu, "hand over the girl, or else."

"Or else what," he asked, his fists balled up and on fire. "Why should I give her over? What do you even want her for?!"

"Do I look like a fool to you," asked Thanatos. "I'm not going to give away my plans just so you can dismantle them. You'll just have to figure them out for yourself."

"Then I guess I'll just have to punch them out of you," Natsu declared as he jumped up, his fist on fire. Even though he swore a mask, Thanatos seemed to smirk as he lifted up his arm, darkness spreading from it as it surrounded them. "What the-"

"This is my Nightmare Dimension," said Thanatos as he flew high above them. "I have total control of this world and its surroundings. The only downside is that I can't use them to hurt humans. Sad, but alas, every magic has its limits."

"Your place or not, I'm still gonna kill you for hurting Lucy!"

* * *

Levy was unpacking her things in her two-bedroom suite at Crocus Gardens, preparing the place to be her new home for a while.

"Well, it's not perfect," she said with a smile, "but it feels a lot more homey like this!" She flopped down on the bed, closing her eyes. "First thing tomorrow morning, I'm gonna head to the library. Since it seems to be a dark organization doing this, I'll definitely be looking into dark magic books first." She almost started to doze off when the door suddenly opened and Gajeel and Pantherlily stormed in. She sat up and glared, throwing a pillow. "Hey, learn to knock!" Gajeel easily caught the pillow.

"Why are you so surprised," he asked as he sat on the other bed. "We're sharing a room you know."

"Wait, why?"

"It's safer," replied Pantherlily. "Weren't you paying attention when we checked in?"

"Honestly, no," she admitted. "I was too worried about Lucy. It's midnight now, so Natsu should be fighting her abductor right now."

"Well, you said yes to sharing a room," Gajeel informed her. "Why do you think the damn room has two beds? We wanted to make sure that if anyone tried to nab ya we could be right here to stop them."

"It could be too late if we're a room over," Pantherlily reasoned. "We thought that this was best safety wise. If you're uncomfortable sharing a room with two men though, I understand, but please know that we'll respect your privacy. We can put a curtain up if you want, but separate rooms isn't up for debate."

"Well, I suppose that makes sense," Levy admitted. "Fine, but I do want a curtain put up."

"No problem," said Gajeel as he grabbed some sheets and held out his arm, extending it from one side of the room to the other. "Better?"

"Much," she said with a relieved smile. "So, where were you guys?"

"Checking out the hotel," replied Pantherlily. "We thought it was best to check to make sure there wasn't anyway that someone could get in while we're sleeping. Also checking for escape routes, exits, things like that."

"I see," she replied. "Well, thank you guys. Let's get some sleep. I wanna head to the library in the morning."

"Night Bookworm," replied Gajeel as he turned off the lights. "Night Lily."

"Goodnight Gajeel. Goodnight Levy."

"Goodnight you guys," said Levy with a smile as she lay down, closing her eyes, but still worrying.  _"I hope Lucy's safe."_

* * *

Erza, Gray, Wendy, Carla, and Happy all sat in Gray's apartment living room. It was a rather plainly decorated place, well decorated, but there wasn't much for decorations, much like how Gray didn't have much for clothes most of the time. But this time he was fully clothed.

"Are you sure that we shouldn't go there," asked Wendy. "We don't know anything about this enemy. In the past we've known them at least somewhat, but this organization is completely new. We have no idea how strong these people may be."

"We just have to trust the Master's decision," said Erza as she closed her eyes. "If he thinks Natsu and Maddie can handle it, then I trust him."

"This isn't right," said Gray, his fists gripped tightly together as they shook from the pressure. "Lucy's more than our guild mate, she's our teammate, our sister! Why are we just sitting here while Natsu takes care of it himself?!"

"I understand how you feel Gray, but you must remember that Lucy's life is in danger." Erza opened her eyes, looking straight at the Ice Maker wizard, even though his head hung so that his face was hidden. "We're facing an opponent we don't know. For all we know, Natsu has the best chance out of any of us. Maybe he has the worst, but you can't deny that out of all of us, he's the best at turning the impossible into what's possible."

"I know that," growled Gray, the air getting icy, "but I hate the thought of just sitting here and being useless!"

"It's all we can do," Happy mumbled. "If we'd broken that creepy guy's rules, we could've put Lucy in even more danger than she's already in."

"Have you had any visions about it Carla," Wendy asked, looking down at the Exceed in her lap.

"Strangely no," Carla replied. "It's like, ever since Maddie arrived, my clairvoyance has been hard to use. As if something's not right." As soon as she said that, her eyes widened, fragments of the future flashing before her eyes.

* * *

_A gate shining with gold opening_

* * *

_Tendrils of darkness running all through Magnolia_

* * *

_Lucy's body falling, cold and lifeless_

* * *

_Natsu being engulfed by darkness_

* * *

_The laugh of a shadowed man as he held a shining silver orb_

* * *

"Carla? Carla!" Wendy was shaking Carla's shoulders hard, helping her snap out of her vision. "Carla did you just have a vision?"

"Stop shaking me child," Carla chided. "I'm fine, I just, had had a very fragmented vision."

"What was it," Erza inquired, leaning forward.

"I-I'm not quite sure," she said honestly. "I saw a golden gate, darkness, Lucy falling, Natsu disappearing, and, and I heard this horrible, horrible laugh as a man that I couldn't see held something shining, something silver and glowing, almost like a light source. I don't know what it was, but it was extremely powerful."

"What does all of this mean," Erza asked herself. "A golden gate, Magnolia shrouded in darkness, Lucy falling, Natsu disappearing, and the man with the silver light. Your visions are usually connected, aren't they?" Carla nodded.

"They usually have something to do with our immediate future, but this felt different. It felt further ahead than I've ever seen."

"You didn't see anything else," Gray asked.

"Nothing," she replied. "I couldn't even see the faces of the people responsible, but I can't help but think that Underworld Origin was behind it. I don't know how I know, but I guess I could, I could just feel it. But it felt like everything I saw happened in the further future, nothing that will happen any time soon. So I think that since I saw Lucy, it's safe to say that Natsu will manage to rescue her somehow."

"That's a relief," said Happy. "What about Maddie? Do those creeps get her?"

"Actually," said Carla, "I didn't see her at all, not one bit. It's a little peculiar to be honest."

"That does seem a bit strange," Erza agree. "If Maddie's in the middle of this, then why wouldn't she show up in the vision?"

"We can figure that out in the morning," said Wendy as she stood up. "It's really late. We should all be getting to bed."

"I agree," said Erza as she stood up. "Carla, Wendy, I'll walk the both of you back to Fairy Hills."

"Thank you," said Wendy with a smile. "Good night Gray."

"Yeah, goodnight," he said as he watched them leave. "See you guys in the morning." He looked over at Happy, who was still sitting on his couch. "You gonna head home Happy?"

"There's no one for me when I get there," he replied. "Natsu and Maddie are off rescuing Lucy, and well, I don't wanna go my mine and Natsu's home or to Lucy's and see how empty it is." He teared up, but tried to hold them back. He would never hear the end of it if Natsu found out he'd cried to Gray. "I'm worried, and I don't wanna be there and be thinking about how that might, that might be how things stay." Gray couldn't help but feel his heart twinge at the cat's sadness. Standing up, he ruffled the top of the blue cat's head.

"It's fine," said Gray. "You can stay here for the night. Natsu will be back in the morning. I can promise that. He's Natsu after all. You can't keep that punk down no matter how hard you try." Gray looked out the window at the moon.  _"You'd better come back in one piece flame brain, if not for Lucy and the rest of the guild, then at least for Happy's sake. You're the closest thing to a dad he's ever known."_

* * *

Natsu was fiercely battling Thanatos, but every single blow that Natsu tried to land he managed to dodge.

"Fight me like a real man," Natsu demanded as he attempted to Kick Thanatos in the face.

"I am," he replied, holding up an arm to block the blow, "the problem is you're a child. You're not even worth the effort."

"How about the effort of a real child," said Maddie as she held up a token. " **Release, Seal of Nemea, the Lion!** " Natsu's eyes widened as he turned to face her.

"Maddie no!" He knew that when she used a token she hadn't used before, she would have flashbacks to things that happened in her past. With a growl, he moved away from Thanatos to stand in front of her as the token turned into a giant lion while her face went completely blank.

* * *

" _Mama, why does my babysitter wear cat ears?" Maddie was sitting in her mother's lap as she was being read a story._

" _Because he thinks he's a big kitty," her mother replied. "He didn't use to have those you know. One day he just kinda showed up with them, although that was before you were born."_

" _Why'd he suddenly get them mama?"_

" _I don't know," her mother replied. "You'll have to ask him."_

* * *

Maddie shook her head as the memory disappeared.

"Lion, please, help Natsu fight," she said. The lion growled and leaped at Thanatos, baring his fangs.

"Alright, now it's a party!" Natsu pounded his fist into his hand as he set them on fire once again, joining the lion in attacking Thanatos.

"Such powerful magic," praised Thanatos as he managed to dodge the two of them. "Too bad it won't be enough to beat me."

"Keep talking," said Natsu as he brought down a flaming foot on Thanatos's shoulder, "it'll make it all the more satisfying when I beat you!"

"Why not just hand over the girl," suggested Thanatos. "She's not going to be hurt. We need her alive and unhurt. You don't even know why we need her."

"Then start talking," demanded Natsu as he brought his hand together, trying to smack Thanatos on either side with fire, but the dark wizard simply vanished and the lion took the hit instead.

"I can't do that," Thanatos replied. "If I were to give up our mission, then I would be betraying Underworld Origin, and that's not the kind of person I am."

"Then I'm not giving you Maddie," called out Natsu as he jumped up and went to punch Thanatos in the gut, lion next to him. Still, Thanatos managed to dodge them.

"This is boring me," he replied as he summoned Lucy's prision next to him, holding out a shining yellow lacrima. "See this lacrima? This holds Lucy's soul. Right now, this thing is just a flesh prison, a body. It still breathes, its heart still beats, but it has no real ability to do anything." His hand phased through the glass as he grabbed Lucy's chin, pulling it close. "She's just a puppet now."

" _ **Get your hands off of her**_ ," Natsu screamed, his whole body engulfed in rage and fire as he leaped forward. Just as any other encounter before, Thanatos teleported away.

"I didn't even get to the fun part," he said, the smirk obvious in his voice. The fun part is that if I apply even the tiniest bit of pressure to this lacrima, she'll feel the pain tenfold." He gave the lacrima a gentle squeeze and Lucy started to scream.

" _ **LUCY!**_ "

"And if I were to crush this lacrima," he said as he applied even more pressure, making her scream even louder, "then she'll die. Her soul itself will be destroyed. She'll have no chance of going to the afterlife. She'll be gone forever."

In that moment, in hearing that Lucy might die, it was like something in Natsu had snapped. He went stiff, his heart seeming to beat so loudly that it thundered in the Nightmare Dimension.

 _"Die?"_  The whole dimension shook, and Maddie looked around fearfully.

"W-What's going on?"

"Yes indeed," asked Thanatos, concern entering his voice for the first time, "what is happening? Nothing should be able to affect this dimension but me."

"Die," said Natsu softly. He didn't even seem to see what was going on in front of him. All he saw was a sword made of darkness, his hand missing the hilt by mere seconds, and another person taking the blow for Lucy.

That person still being Lucy.

He saw the blood gushed from the wound at impact, and could see Lucy hitting the floor. He remembered as Happy cried as he lost one of the people closest to him die.

And he remembered as she faded away, leaving this life.

In that moment of anger, of fear, and of pure and unadulterated passion, Natsu started to scream, his nails extending into claws, his skin growing scales.

"Natsu, what are you doing," Maddie stuttered out as Natsu burst into flames. She held out her hand, afraid for her lion. " **Set the Seal!** " The lion disappeared, light shooting towards her hand and reforming into a token.

"Dragon Force," Thanatos sputtered in shock, "but how?! How can you use Dragon Force?! You aren't nearly this strong!"

"I won't let this happen," he screamed out, "not again! I promised myself, I promised myself and Lucy that I would never let her die again!" He jumped forward, too fast for Thanatos to dodge. " _ **I PROMISED TO PROTECT HER FUTURE!**_ " In that moment, his fist made contact with Thanatos's face, and he beat him down, and beat him down hard. With the intense amount of pain he was in, he dropped the lacrima that held Lucy's soul. Maddie picked it up quickly, holding it tightly to her.

"I've got you Lucy," she said to herself. "I don't know how to put you back, but I have you!"

"You'll never hurt me," said Natsu as he punched Thanatos, "you'll never hurt Maddie," another punch, " _and you sure as hell won't hurt Lucy ever again!_ " With one final punch that sent Thanatos flying, the Nightmare Dimension disappeared, and they were back in Magnolia Southgate Park. Lucy's coffin disappeared and she started to fall from the sky. Natsu ran to catch her, holding her tightly to his chest. "I've got you Lucy," he said softly as he looked at Thanatos, his mask cracked and starting to fall off. "Now, tell me what your goals are." Before Thanatos could even have a chance to show if he was conscious or not, Mors appeared once again, a hand on Thanatos's chest.

"I never expected one of the Underworld Trio to fall," said Mors. "You've surprised us Natsu Dragneel."

"Get away from him," Natsu growled out. "He still needs to pay for hurting Lucy the way he did."

"That's on us," said Mors honestly. "He was never to hurt her. Trust me when I saw we don't want to hurt anyone in Fairy Tail, although not for the reasons you think." He picked up Thanatos. "I'll be bringing him back to our headquarters. If you want to make him pay, you'll have to wait." He vanished without a trace, taking Thanatos with him.

"Natsu," said Maddie, holding out the lacrima, "I found Lucy's soul." He smiled at her as dawn broke over Magnolia.

"Thanks Maddie," he said. Once Maddie got close, the lacrima turned into streams of light, flowing towards Lucy's body and making it glow with a golden light. As the light faded away, Lucy made a small sound and slowly opened her eyes.

"Natsu," she said slowly, wincing, "what happened?" He couldn't help but tear up as he held her close.

"Lucy, thank god," he said as the tears fell on her face. "I thought I was gonna loose you all over again…"


	6. I Want to be Strong!

Lucy was in the guild hall infirmary, her whole team and Maddie sitting next to her as Wendy held out her arms to heal her.

"The damage is just too much for me," said Wendy with tears. "She's in even worse condition than she was after the Naval Battle at the Grand Magic Games. At least then she didn't have any broken bones."

"Stop fretting child," Carla chided. "If you can't do anything else for her then there's simply nothing you can do."

"Those bastards," said Gray as he looked down at her. "What gave them the right to do this to her?!"

"Calm down Gray," ordered Erza, "and keep quiet. After what she's been through, Lucy needs her rest."

"Well are we gonna let them get away with this," he demanded to know. "He could've killed her!"

"We know," said Happy as he looked at Lucy. "We know that. But we don't know anything about them."

"They're gonna pay," Natsu growled out, his hands clasped together and gripped so tightly they were shaking. "They're gonna pay for this!"

"It's my fault," said Maddie with a sniffle. "Now Lucy's hurt really badly, and I don't even know why!" She clenched her fists as they rested in her lap. "Maybe if I hadn't come, Lucy wouldn't be hurt."

"It's not your fault," Erza said firmly. "You didn't do this to her. Thanatos did."

"But now Lucy can't walk," Maddie said shakily, her tears falling onto her hands.

"Maybe if I was better at magic, I'd be able to heal her," Wendy lamented.

"Then it's a good thing I'm here," said someone from the doorway cheerily. Wendy's eyes lit up when she saw who it was.

"Shelia," Wendy greeted happily as she stood up and hugged the girl, "it's so good to see you!" She pulled away. "But why are you here?"

"I contacted Lamia Scale and asked them to send her," responded Master Makarov from behind Shelia. "Lucy is in bad shape. Two healers will be better than one."

"I know a great bone mending spell," said Shelia confidently, her fists at chin level to show her sureness. "Just leave it to me!"

* * *

Levy was sitting on a ladder as she spend read a book, putting it down and then picking up another.

"None of these spells requires a person to be alive and unhurt," she said in annoyance. "If anything they're all requiring human sacrifices! This magic is repulsive."

"Something seems strange though," said Pantherlily from a table, sporting his own pair of wind reader glasses.

"What do you mean," Levy asked.

"It doesn't seem like a dark spell," said Pantherlily. "Why would a dark spell require them to use someone alive and unhurt?"

"Dark spells don't usually make sense," said Gajeel as he watched the two of them, not bothering to pick up a book and help out.

"That's true," Levy replied. "Not to mention some of it isn't actually dark as in evil. It's dark as in forbidden. There are actually a lot of spells that Zeref tried to create, and failed, that had to do with resurrection. One was the R System, and there are plenty more other than that. He wrote a lot of spells that weren't evil, but were dark because they went against nature."

"And how would you know that," Gajeel asked, leaning against a shelf.

"Because I read a lot purely out of curiosity," she responded, picking up a new book. "I've read plenty of Zeref's spell tomes, though none of his summoning spells for his demons. They're fascinating in theory, but the prices for the magic tend to be too great."

"I can't help but wonder why Zeref had such a fixation on resurrection spells," pondered Pantherlily.

"I'm not sure," said Levy. "Let's get back to finding this spell that requires a person alive and unhurt."

* * *

Once Shelia was done healing Lucy, she wiped her forehead and sighed.

"That should do it," she said with a smile. "Give her a week before letting her walk. I mended her bones, but they're still very fragile. I would recommend a wheelchair or something like that."

"No need," said Natsu as he picked her up. "I'll carry her. Now if you're done here, I'm taking her home."

"Well it's safe to move her now," said Shelia hesitantly, "but isn't she safer at the guild, where there's others to help protect her?"

"Shelia," Erza warned, "leave him be." She looked up at Natsu. "I'll walk you there. I'm sure you'll want the extra open hands in case something happens along the way."

"I can do this on my own," he growled out.

"Are you really wanting to ignore me," Erza asked, a dark expression on her face.

"No ma'am!"

"Maddie, Happy, come on," said Erza as the five of them left.

"What's his deal," asked Gray. "Acting all high and mighty after all that happened."

"I don't think it can be helped Gray," Wendy said. "Lucy almost died in front of him."

"Um, I feel like I should go," Shelia said nervously. "Seems like some heavy stuff is going on that I don't really need to know."

"Good idea," agreed Master Makarov. "Give Oba Babasama my gratitude."

"See you soon Shelia," said Wendy excitedly. Shelia waved at her and left.

"What are we gonna do," asked Gray. "We can't let them get away with this!"

"Of course we aren't," Makarov said angrily. "They've seriously hurt one of my children! I will not forgive them for this!"

"We still don't know anything about them," reminded Wendy. "We don't know anything about their base of operations, or their goals."

"We may know enough," said the master. "We know that they're after Maddie. I've talked to Bisca and Alzack, who have been working on tracking magic together."

"What's tracking magic," asked Wendy.

"It's an advanced magic," Gray replied. "A special kind that allows someone to know the exact location of a person of their choosing as long as they have some evidence of where they're been. They just need a foot print, a loose thread, anything that gives them the slightest hint as to where someone was. From there they can create a path that only they can see. It's useful to Bisca and Alzack since most of the jobs they take are bounty jobs."

"I've tasked them with trying to track down these members from Underworld Origin," Master Makarov informed them, thinking about them being at Southgate Park and trying to find a trace of the intruders. "They're to find out where their base of operations is and report back to me immediately."

"Then what shall we do until then," Carla asked. "Surely we won't just stand around waiting to be next?"

"Of course not," the master replied. "For now, I'm asking everyone to take jobs as usual, but no less than 4 people per a team. We have no idea when someone might be attacked next. With the Magic Council on our backs, we can't let them know something is wrong. They already think we bring trouble to Fiore, we don't need to confirm that."

"Well I won't be taking any jobs," said Gray as he stood up. "Not until this Underworld Origin organization is buried 6 feet under."

"I agree with Gray," Wendy chimed in. "I wouldn't feel right. What if I was gone and more people got hurt?"

"I wouldn't feel right either," said Carla. "So then our while team will stay here."

"I'm not surprised," Master Makarov said with a smile. "You all are very close after all."

* * *

Natsu sat next to Lucy's bed, watching over her as she slept peacefully. He gently brushed her hair out of her face.

"I promise Lucy, I won't let anything like this ever happen to you again." Her eyes scrunched up, making Natsu lean forward in anticipation as he watched her open her eyes.

"Nat…su…?" She tried to sit up, but winced when she did, holding her ribs. "Ow!"

"Don't sit up," he ordered, gently pushing her back down by her shoulders. "You were hurt pretty badly by that creep. Wendy and Shelia said you shouldn't try to move for a few more days."

"What happened," she asked, looking up at him. "Last thing I remember was Loke getting hurt protecting me. Then I ran and saw you, and… I don't remember anything else. Just feeling really faint."

"That creep knocked you out," he said, clenching his fist. "I swear Lucy, I won't let him anywhere near you again. You or Maddie."

"Where is she," Lucy asked.

"Downstairs with Erza," he replied. "She's making some lunch for her and Happy."

"Can she even cook?"

"I have no idea."

* * *

Maddie looked at the wiggling brown mess that Erza had made, a bright smile on the chef's face.

"It's moving," Maddie said nervously.

"Erza, I don't think you fully killed whatever you cooked," said Happy as he pushed the plate away.

"Nonsense," Erza said dismissively as she took a bite of her own, smiling. "This is perfectly nutritious! I'd normally cook something much simpler because I'm not very good at complicated dishes, but you both look a little thin. Besides, once you finish there's delicious cake!" She gestured to the pristine looking strawberry shortcake she'd made.

"So yummy," Maddie squealed as she stared.

* * *

"I'm glad Maddie's okay," said Lucy with a smile. "Thank you for saving me again Natsu." She teared up. "But you're always saving me. From Phantom Lord, from the Neo Oracíon Seis, from prison. I guess I always need saving." Tears started slowly streaming down her face. "I was starting to feel like I was getting strong, like I was learning to be independent, but this just showed me how weak I am. I can't even protect myself."

"Stop." Lucy made a surprised noise, looking up at his shadowed, dark face. "Don't talk about yourself like that." He lifted his head up, his face full of anger and worry for her. "Lucy, you're stronger than anyone I know!" He took her hands, holding them tight. "You hold onto hope like there's no tomorrow, you always believe in me, and you stay strong through everything! Just because you're not strong physically doesn't mean you're weak!" He pulled her in close, looking her dead in the eyes. "Don't you ever forget that. You're Lucy, one of the strongest people I know!"

"Natsu," she said softly, staring him in the eyes, "you really think I'm strong? Even after I was so completely helpless?"

"It's not your fault. You're so strong Lucy. Please, don't let this keep you from seeing it." She couldn't help but smile at his words.

"What would I do without you?" He gave her his signature smirk. She then started blushing hard, realizing just how close he was. "Uh, Natsu, maybe you should back up a bit."

"Why," he asked, tilting his head a bit.

"This is just a little too close for comfort," she replied, scooting back a little.

"We've been closer before," he reminded her. "Besides, I'm not letting you out of my sight again, not after that. I already watched you die once, I refuse to do it again."

"I see…" She could remember that moment so vividly. The sword that future Rogue threw at her, the blow meant for her, and the way her future self had saved her. "Natsu, I won't die. Not until I've lived a full life."

"I know," he said as he pulled her in to a hug, "because I refuse to let you die. You mean too much to me." He reached towards his belt and pulled off her key holster. "Just like how your spirits mean so much to you. Thanatos, the guy who took you, he didn't get them. I made sure to keep them safe until you got them back." She smiled and took them, holding them close.

"Thank you Natsu," she said as she teared up. "I don't know what I'd do without them. Most of them, like Aquarius and Cancer have been with me ever since I was a little girl."

"I know," he replied, moving closer. "You and your keys, me and my scarf. Both of us would look pretty weird without them." He gave her his signature goofy smile, and she couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

Bisca and Alzack were at the park, searching the wear for hints of Thanatos. Alzack smiled when he finally came across a foot print. It was extremely light and hard to make out, but it was there.

"I got it Bisca," he said, turning towards her with a smile.

"Nice work hon," she replied with a smile and a thumbs up, walking over to him. "Man, that footprint is faint. It's like they knew we'd be able to track them."

"They might've," Alzack replied as he stood up, holding out his hand. "Ready to cast the spell?"

"You know it," she replied as she took his hand. They closed their eyes, magic power flowing out of them. They both opened them, their eyes glowing with a mint green.

"I can see the path," said Alzack, looking at the footprint and then a direct, straight line. "This guy must have the power to use Direct Line magic, just like Doranbolt."

"At least that makes it easy to track them," she replied. "Grab the pack. Looks like Mira will have to take care of Asca for a few days. Since he didn't walk away from here, he probably didn't take any trains, which makes our travel time a lot longer than we originally thought."

"Yeah," said Alzack as He picked up his pack and threw of over his shoulder. "Let's go. The spell's only gonna last for three days. We have to find them before that."

"Even if we don't though, at least we'll have a clue where to look," Bisca pointed out. "Plus we could always just cast the spell again the moment we find more evidence of where he's been."

"True," said Alzack. "This trip could still take a few days though. Let's try and find them before they find us again."

"Poor Lucy," said Bisca softly, looking towards the guildhall. "She didn't deserve what she got. She's been through enough."

"Let's hope this is the last time," Alzack said. "Come on hon, we need to get going." He started walking the path that the spell had made obvious to him.

"Yeah, I'm coming."

* * *

Maddie came into Lucy's room, completely ignoring how close they were to each other. She walked over to the bed, standing right next to Natsu as she shyly put her hands on the bed.

"Lucy, are you feeling better," she asked softly as they quickly pulled away from each other, Lucy blushing heavily.

"Y-Yeah," she assured, rubbing the top if her head. "I'm perfectly fine! A bit sore and bruised, but to be honest I'm kinda getting used to it."

"I'm sorry," said Maddie, tearing up a bit, "everyone keeps saying it's not my fault, but I still can't help but feel like it is. Ever since I came there's been nothing but trouble here. I'm sorry."

"Maddie, it's not your fault," said Lucy gently as she wiped away Maddie's tears. "You didn't ask for any of this to happen. If anyone's to blame, it's Underworld Origin."

"But they're after me," Maddie argued. "If it weren't for me then your lives would all be peaceful and trouble free!"

"Trouble free," repeated Natsu. He and Lucy looked at each other before bursting out into laughter.

"Why… why are you laughing?"

"Maddie, when you sign up for Fairy Tail, you sign up for trouble," Lucy replied as she wiped her eyes. "Fairy Tail is full of the most powerful wizards in Fiore. Even if we didn't go looking for it, it'd find us."

"Besides, a life without any trouble is no fun," Natsu added with a smirk. "Getting into trouble is fun cause then you get to fight your way out of it!"

"Not all of us want to fight our way out of trouble," Lucy argued. "Thinking is always an option."

"Well I'll think about where I'm gonna punch the trouble first," Natsu said.

"You're hopeless," Lucy sighed. Maddie watched them go back and forth, laughing.

"You two are so silly," she giggled out.

"I at least make sense," Lucy said angrily.

"Maybe in your weirdo way," Natsu teased.

"You're the weirdo," Lucy shouted back, "you and that stupid cat! Hey speaking of where is Happy?"

"He wouldn't eat his lunch," said Maddie, "so Erza won't let him leave the table until he does." She could help but feel bad for the poor cat, who was most likely tearing up at the thought of being forced to eat Erza's disgusting slop, if it could even be called that.

"Sounds like Erza," Lucy replied as she pulled Maddie up onto the bed. "Don't worry, I'll make something really good for dinner!"

"No you won't," Natsu said firmly. "Shelia said not to let you walk or stand, and no offense but I'm not gonna carry you around while you cook. I'll send Erza home and I'll cook dinner."

"You can cook," Lucy asked in surprise. "Since when?!"

"Since always," he replied, a little offended. "Igneel taught me! What did you think I ate growing up, raw food and fire?"

"But you always eat at the guild hall."

"Because it's easier," he replied, folding his arms over his chest. "But I don't feel like carrying you all the way to the guild just for dinner."

"I want cookies," said Maddie, holding out her arms to emphasize.

"Nah, I ain't a baker," Natsu replied. "But I promise it'll be good!"

"I believe you," said Maddie.

"I guess I have no choice," Lucy sighed, teasing him.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

* * *

Natsu was wearing an apron, cooking in front of the stove while Happy flew above the oven holding a thermometer.

"Just gotta throw in the carrots," he said as he threw in some diced carrots in a frying pan full of melted butter and seasonings, tossing them up gently. "Hey Happy how's the roast coming?"

"The temperature lacrima says it's at 135° sir," said Happy formally.

"Awesome," said Natsu with a smile. "Just gotta let the potatoes brown then while I take care of the carrots."

"Hey Natsu," Happy started, "why are you cooking now? And where are Maddie and Lucy?"

"I'm gonna prove Lucy wrong," he ranted. "I'm not gonna let her tell me I can't cook!"

"But this is some complex stuff," Happy noticed. "When did Igneel teach you all this?"

"Oh, he spent a lot of time on cooking," Natsu said with a smile. "Once he found a recipe book and taught me how to read it and make the stuff in it. This was one of em."

"That doesn't tell me where the girls are."

"Lucy's in her room still, taking a bath with Maddie. I told her to get a bath before dinner since she hadn't had a chance to yet."

* * *

Lucy was gently scrubbing Maddie's hair, smiling.

"You have such pretty hair," Lucy said as she kept lathering Maddie's hair.

"Yours is prettier," Maddie said as she played with a rubber duckie in the tub. "It's so shiny it looks like gold!"

"Well if you take care of your hair, yours can be this pretty," Lucy said, grabbing the detachable shower head. "Close your eyes." She started rinsing off Maddie's hair. "You definitely need a haircut though. Geez, these are some of the worst split ends I've ever seen!"

"What's a split end," Maddie asked, turning and looking up at Lucy.  
"It means your hair is getting weak at the tips, and each half curls away from the other, causing it to split," she explained. "At least that's how I think it happens. I'll be honest I'm not positive. But they cause your hair to get dirty and tangled easily."

"Well then will you cut my hair Lucy?"

"No," she replied with a smirk as she reached for her keys as they sat on her counter, "but I have the perfect candidate to do it for you!  **Open, Gate of the Giant Crab, Cancer!** " Out of the air came Cancer, scissors in hand.

"Ready to get a new do baby," he asked, snipping at the air.

"Nah, not yet," she replied, "but Maddie here needs one badly!"

"Shouldn't you get dressed first baby," Cancer asked, turning away once he realized that Lucy and Maddie were in the tub.

"It's fine," Lucy replied. "Besides, I can't get up anyway. And Maddie's a little girl."

"I'll still get dressed though," said Maddie as she grabbed a towel and started drying off before getting dressed. "Okay I'm ready!" Cancer turned around, kneeling and holding a strip of her hair.

"I think I know just the do for you baby," he said as he snipped her hair. Once he was done, her hair was down to her waist, her hair styled just like Lucy's used to be when she first met Natsu. "All done."

"Oh, you look so adorable Maddie," said Lucy. "It's just perfect for you!"

"Call me again if you need me baby," said Cancer as he disappeared.

"Hey Lucy," came Natsu's voice from the other side of the door, "dinner's ready." He opened the door, only for Lucy to throw a shampoo bottle at his face.

"I'm  _ **naked**_  you idiot," she shouted at him. "Get out!"

"Just meant to come get ya for dinner." He rubbed his face after the shampoo bottle fell. "Geez Lucy, overreacting much?"

"Get out!" She threw a bottle of conditioner at him and he shut the door. "Geez, what's his problem?"

"I don't know," said Maddie as she held up Lucy's towel. "But he's just trying to help! A lot has happened lately!"

"I guess that's true," Lucy admitted as she drained the bath and took the towel, drying her hair while the water drained. "In his own weird way he's just trying his best." She pulled herself up to the side of the tub and started to get dressed. "I appreciate it, but a little more privacy would be wonderful."

"Maybe he doesn't wanna spend time away from you," Maddie suggested.

"People need their space," Lucy replied as she finished getting dressed. "Okay Natsu you can come in now." He opened the door and looked at Maddie in confusion.

"You look different somehow," he said, crossing his arms and tilting his head, "but I'm not sure how. Is your hair longer?"

"I had Cancer give her a new hairdo," said Lucy. "Now you said you'd have something good for dinner?"

"Oh yeah!" He scooped her up into his arms, smirking. "It's gonna be some of the best tasting food you've ever had!"

"You'd better not be lying," Lucy warned. "I feel like I haven't ate anything in days."

"Good thing I made extra!"

* * *

"Whoa!" Lucy was in awe at the almost picture perfect meal set out in front of them. "Natsu this looks really good!"

"I don't get why you're do surprised," he said as he sat down. "Anyway, dig in!" Lucy took a hesitant bite before her face filled with pleasant surprise.

"This tastes amazing," she exclaimed as Maddie dug in.

"It's really yummy!" She practically scarfed down her food.

"Slow down Maddie," said Lucy. "You're gonna get sick if you keep eating like that."

"But it's so good," Maddie said, drawing out the last word.

"See, I told you I could cook!" He smirked at them. "Igneel was good at teaching! All of these recipes he taught me. We used to sneak food off of farms so I could learn."

"You used to steal," Happy asked in disbelief.

"No, we borrowed," Natsu defended. "Besides, It's not like I do it anymore. I'm not a thief," he smirked, "unless the job pays for it."

Later that night, Natsu was snuggled up behind Lucy in the bed, Maddie on the other side of Lucy. Natsu, Happy, and Maddie were so snoring, but Lucy slowly opened her eyes.

"I can't sleep," she said softly. It took a bit, but she managed to get out of Natsu's powerful arms. She winced in pain as she got out of the bed, but managed to stand and go outside. " **Open, Gate of the Lion, Loke!** " She felt him sweep her off her feet, holding her close with a frown on his face.

"Lucy, you shouldn't be standing. You're still hurt after what Thanatos did to you. Come on, let's get you back to bed." He took a few steps and then stopped, wincing.

"I'm sorry Loke," said Lucy when she saw him wince, "I forgot you were hurt. But that's why I called you here."

"So you didn't call for a late night romantic rendezvous," he said with a smirk.

"No!" She took in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. "Loke, you're a combat spirit, right?" He nodded. "I want you to teach me how to fight. I'm…" She looked at her hand before clenching her fist, "I'm tired of always being rescued. I mean, I'm grateful to have such good friends who are always willing to protect me, but I want to be able to return the favor one day. I want to be strong enough to protect them too, and to be able to fight side by side with my spirits as equals." She looked back up at him. "Help me become stronger. Please Loke. Teach me how to fight and be strong!" He had a surprised look on his face from her request, but smiled.

"It won't be easy," he warned. "Once you heal up, we'll train every night. I won't be easy on you just because you're my girlfriend."

"I'm not your girlfriend!"

"Are you ready to go through it?" She nodded.

"I'll do whatever it takes!"

"Then we start next week," he said definitely as he gently put her on the ground, disappearing.

"Why'd he leave me in the ground," she asked herself in annoyance and anger. Before she could even try to get up, Natsu threw open the front door, looking around with anger and panic on his face before his eyes settled on Lucy.

"What the hell," he said as he walked over to her and picked her up, holding her close. "Don't do that to me! I thought that creep Thanatos had gotten to you again!"

"I'm sorry Natsu," she apologized. "I just, there was something I needed to do."

"Well next time tell me," he said as he carried her into the house, "because I don't want what happened to you to ever happen again." He carried her into the house.

"Okay, but you do know I need space every now and then, right?"

"Of course," he replied as he gently kicked the door shut behind them. "It's not like you have to constantly be with me. Just, you mean a lot to me, and I wanna make sure you're safe. So even if you're not with me, you should be with somebody."

"Alright, I understand." He gently put her down on the bed before climbing in himself, wrapping his arms around her. "Goodnight Natsu."

"Night Lucy."

* * *

Thanatos was held up by chains on his wrists in a dark dungeon, his mask partially shattered to reveal one gray eye. His clothes were ripped, blood dripping down from several open wounds.

"You seem to have failed Thanatos," said a teasing voice. Thanatos looked up to see a man in a jackal mask.

"Anubis," he spat out, "what are you doing here? I thought only Mors and I were going to be here."

"Well after you failed so spectacularly, the master sent me," Anubis bragged. "Apparently, you two are far too incompetent to do this job right. The whole organization is counting on you two. You've been here for two weeks and you haven't been able to capture the Key yet. Sooner or later the Master is going to ask for others to help you. After all, we didn't come all the way here just to watch you fail at capturing a small weak child."

"She's protected!" He strained against his shackles. "I knew that Fairy Tail would still be strong, but not like this. Natsu Dragneel went into Dragon Force. I was helpless against it."

"You know that's only a tiny fraction of the reason of why you're being punished," Anubis reminded. "Remember your orders? You're not to hurt any of the members of Fairy Tail, or anyone here. It's too risky."

"That was my fault," he admitted, "but you know I couldn't resist. I was alone for hours, it relieved my boredom."

"Torture those souls of yours," said Anubis. "Don't touch any of the members or Fairy Tail."

"Fine."


	7. The Diamond Scale Mountains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bisca and Alzack search for Underworld Origin's hideout, getting closer to the source of all their trouble. Cana convinces Juvia to go on a job with her, trying to talk to her and help Juvia grow as a person. As they do that, Levy searches the maps as a break from research only to find that Bisca and Alzack are heading right towards the Diamond Scale Mountains, a location which seems to hold a lot of meaning to the elder guild members. What's the connection between the events going on and these mountains?

Maddie was laying in bed next to Natsu, Lucy, and Happy, clutching her bag full of tokens to her chest as she panted, her face screwed up in an expression of fear. The bag was gently glowing, magic power slowly emitting off of her.

* * *

_Maddie stood in front of something opening up with shining light, watching as it opened further and further._

" _Run," called out a voice. Maddie turned towards it and saw several people standing in front of her, with one man in front of them all and leading, each of them using their own magic to fight against black tendrils. "Run! You have to escape!"_

" _But I can't leave you behind," she said. "I don't wanna loose anyone else!"_

" _You won't loose us," he responded. "Please, just go before they find you!"_

" _What do I do if they follow me in?"_

" _We won't let them," said a woman. "We'll stop them here and now. But if they do, then run. Run to Fairy Tail. They'll protect you! I know they will! Fairy Tail is and always has been a noble guild! Even if they don't know you yet, they'll still protect you."_

" _But how can I? Fairy Tail is-"_

" _No they aren't," shouted back the leader. "They're not. You'll see when you get there! Please, trust me. You know me, you know I wouldn't lead you astray."_

" _Alright," she said softly. "I'll trust you."_

" _There's just one thing left," said another person as he turned around and walked towards her. She couldn't see his face at all, but she could see his magic Council uniform. "I'll have to wipe your memories. It'll be too dangerous for you to go there with you memories intact. I'm going to convert them into something physical." He put his hand on her forehead, and as he pulled it away, tokens started to form and fall to the ground. He gathered them up and placed them in a bag. "These are your memories. You'll still be able to use them until you reach the Fairy Tail guildhall, but once you get there you'll forget everything. Don't loose them, and try not to use them as much as possible! We'll come get you once we're done dealing with Underworld Origin." He clenched his fist and held out a clear token. "Once you reach the guild, use this token. It has a fake name for you. Hopefully it'll make it harder for Underworld Origin to find you. It'll also keep your full power from being awakened, which makes it impossible for them to use you for their plans. Remember, your name isn't," for some reason, she couldn't hear what he said, "your name is now Maddie Harneel. Understand? You're now Maddie Harneel. Repeat it."_

" _I-I'm Maddie Harneel," she repeated, tearing up. "I-I don't want to forget you all. You're all so important to me. I already lost mama and papa, I don't want to loose all of you again too."_

" _You'll never loose us," said a different woman, with a bit of a snarky attitude. "We're not going to go down so easily. We'll defeat these people and come back to get you."_

" _Now get out of here," growled out another person as he shot something red from his hands. "We've got this!"_

" _I-I love all of you," said Maddie tearfully as she ran towards the opening._

" _We love you too," replied the first woman before one of the dark tendrils went through her abdomen._

* * *

Maddie shot up, covered in sweat and panting heavily.

"W-What was that," she quietly asked herself, putting the bag down and staring at her hands. "Who am I if I'm not Maddie Harneel? Who were those people who saved me? And why did they insist I come to Fairy Tail?" She shook her head. "They said knowing who I am, my memories might put me in danger. And it might put the people who protected me in danger." She looked towards her sleeping friends. "I have… I have to keep this all to myself. They can't know about any more of my memories, and I can't let any more of them wake up!" She pushed away the bag of tokens and laid back down. "it's for the best. If I want to protect everyone, I can't remember who I am."

* * *

Bisca and Alzack were still following the trail that they saw, but it was slowly thinning.

"We need to recast the spell," said Alzack. "We've already cast it twice and still haven't found them, but we're getting close!"

"I know," agreed Bisca. "I'm starting to feel some strong magic power. It's like nothing I've ever felt!"

"I don't know," said Alzack. "Honestly, it feels familiar to me. But I just can't, I don't know where from." He stopped. "Bisca do you see that up ahead?"

"No, at least not in very much detail. I can tell something's up there, but I'm not sure what it is." She held up her arm. " **Requip, Sniper Rifle!** " She held out the rifle and looked through the scope to see a beaten a bloodied man crucified, his arms bound to the wooden, rough cross. "Oh my God Alzack, that's a person! They need medical attention!" She let her rifle disappear and started running towards them, with Alzack following closely behind.

Once they reached the person, wearing a hood that covered his face, Alzack reached a hand out to him.

"Don't worry, we're gonna get you medical help." He was just inches away from the bindings before they shocked Alzack and he withdrew his hand with a hiss.

"Trust me, you don't want to help this man," came the ominous voice of Mors. Bisca and Alzack both looked around, unable to see him until he appeared on top of the cross. "This is Thanatos, the one who hurt you precious Lucy Heartfilia."

"Wait," said Bisca, looking back and forth from Mors to the crucified man, "so then this is Thanatos?"

"And who are you," Alzack demanded.

"Impatient as always." Mors gave a slight chuckle. "I shouldn't expect anything less from Fairy Tail. I am Mors, the Power Reaper. And I have been sent here to apologize for the behavior of Thanatos. Believe me when I say we don't want to bring any harm to your guild." He jumped down, standing on the left side of Thanatos. "Thanatos is paying the price for gravely injuring Lucy Heartfilia. We want no bloodshed. We only want the girl."

"Yeah right," Bisca growled. "You killed Maddie's parents! Why should we believe a word you say?!"

"That was an unfortunate but necessary step to achieve our goals," Mors replied without hesitation. "But we do not kill when it's not absolutely necessary. And Maddie is needed alive and unhurt. She will be treated well when she joins us finally, and believe me when I say she will join us."

"We're _never_ gonna hand her over," Alzack spat back. "She's a Fairy Tail wizard, and we protect our own!"

"And you just pissed off the wrong set of parents," added Bisca as she requipped with a shotgun. " **Icicle Shot!** " She pulled the trigger to send the icy magic at Mors and Thanatos, but it went through empty air. "Dammit, he Direct Lines away from us!" her shotgun disappeared as Alzack went to check out where they had been.

"We still have tracks though. We can still track them back to their hideout!"

"Then we don't have any time to waste. We need to find them before they find us again."

* * *

Levy had several books full of maps sprawled in front of her, a hand drawn map of Fiore in front of her as she drew on it.

"So then they can't be here," she said softly as she tucked some hair behind her ear, "and they can't be here either. At least that narrows it down."

"What are you doing," asked Gajeel as he peered over Levy's shoulder. "Aren't ya supposed to be looking for that spell?"

"There's no dark magic spells that fit the requirements," she answered, "so I've taken to using the extensive geography textbooks and information about certain regions to try and pinpoint their base of operations based off of where Bisca and Alzack have been going."

"That seems like some complicated work," Pantherlily said as he got on the table and looked at all of it. "If you could take a guess, where do you think their home is?"

"Well, if I had to take a guess," she hesitated, but firmly put her finger on a mountain range, "I'd say it's the Diamond Scales Mountains. They're close to what's known as the Holy Castle, ruins of what used to be the royal palace before it moved to Crocus, and rumor has it that dragons with diamond skin once lived in these mountains." She stopped for a second, straightening up ever so slightly. "Diamond dragons? No, it couldn't…"

"Couldn't what," asked Pantherlily. "Levy are you alright? You seem a bit shaken."

"It's nothing," she lied. "There's no way I could be right." She stood up. "I'm gonna go get something to drink. I'll be back." She walked off while Gajeel and Pantherlily looked at each other.

"Is it just me or she hiding somethin'?"

"She might be," Pantherlily admitted, "but if she doesn't want to talk about it then she doesn't have to. You need to respect her privacy." She looked towards the massive doors to the library as Levy opened them and left. "Remember that we've only been a part of Fairy Tail for a short time compared to her. There must be lots of things that happened before we were here that she doesn't talk about."

"Makes me feel like I hardly know anything about her." Gajeel paused for a bit. "Actually, I don't know crap about her. I know she's a Solid Script wizard and she loves to read. I know her as a person but I don't know anything  _about_  her. Ya get me?"

"When she's ready to open up to you about her past, she will Gajeel. You can't force her to open up."

"Yeah yeah."

* * *

Gray was sitting at the bar of the guildhall, watching Natsu, Maddie, Lucy, and Happy talk to everyone else as he made the ice in his drink float up and down.

"You seem down Gay," said Mirajane as she placed his food in front of him.

"Nah, just annoyed," he replied as he took a bite. "Anytime I get near Lucy or Maddie, Natsu gets even more angry and annoying than normal. It's irritating. It's like I can't even talk to my own friends."

"That's what happens when you're in love," said Mira with a small laugh.

"The hell," said Gray, "Natsu's brain is so fried from his fire magic it can't process something as complicated like that."

"Love's only complicated if you let it be," Mira responded as she placed her elbows on the bar. "Sometimes it can be complicated like with you and Juvia, or like it was between Bisca and Alzack. Now they have a little girl together."

"Whoa whoa whoa," said Gray, holding up his hands, "hold up! Me and Juvia have nothing going on!"

"Oh, I know that," said Mira as she straightened back out, "but that doesn't mean things aren't complicated between the two of you romantically. I mean, you turn her down but it makes her resolve stronger."

"And you don't find that creepy?!"

"A little," she admitted, "but her devotion is admirable. You're not so complicated in this matter, she is." She looked towards Juvia, who was talking with Cana about something and laughing. "She told me all about how you were the first person to ever show her the sky. All she had before that was being the Rain Woman. She probably just doesn't know who she is anymore and just latches onto you."

"You sound like you're making up excuses for her," he said suspiciously. "Mira you're not trying to set me up with her, are you?"

"Heavens no," she replied. "The way Juvia is now, it wouldn't be healthy. But," she smiled gently at Juvia, "I think that someday, when Juvia learns to be her own person outside of using others to make her identity, then maybe she'll be ready for romance." Juvia caught them both looking and gave them a wave. Gray quickly looked away, but Mira just giggled.

"Hitting on Gray again," Cana teased as Juvia waved at the two of them.

"It's not hitting on him," said Juvia, "I am simply trying to woo my beloved! One day, he'll fall into my arms!"

"Yeah, maybe," said Cana, knowing arguing with her was pointless. "Anyway, there's a job I wanted to go on. It's just a bunch of bandits in the north by Oak Town. I was hoping you'd want to join. Normally I steal Loke from Lucy, but it seems as if she'd gonna be needing all her spirits, and I'd rather not go alone. Don't get me wrong, I could easily go alone, but having awesome back up is always good. My cards say that you and I are the perfect combination for this job."

"I'd love to," said Juvia, "but would it be alright to invite Gray along?"

"I think he wants to stay here," Cana replied. "After all, Lucy and Maddie were both attacked. I can't find any oncoming attacks in the future, but just in case he's probably gonna want to stick around. After all, Lucy is his teammate." Juvia nodded.

"It makes sense," she agreed.

"You're not getting hostile at him wanting to spend time with Lucy," Cana asked, a bit surprised.

"I have a feeling that Lucy's affections are elsewhere." She looked towards the mentioned blonde, still talking with Maddie, Happy, and Natsu with a sly smile on her face. "I'm not going to worry about that anymore."

"Well then let's go. If we take a train we can get there by late afternoon, maybe even be back in a couple of days."

* * *

Bisca and Alzack came upon a mountain range, looking up at it.

"I knew this place felt familiar," said Alzack quietly. "It's the Diamond Scale Mountains."

"You've been here before," Bisca asked, to which Alzack just shook his head.

"No, one of our old members was from here. Raised in these mountains." He kept walking towards the mountains. "You never met her. She died a little over a year before you joined the guild."

"Oh." She looked towards the mountains. "So she was from here? Can't imagine anyone living here."

"Well it was special circumstances," he replied as he kept walking. "Come on, if we want to find their base of operations, we should keep going."

"Yeah." She caught up to him. "So who was she?"

"Her name was Hope Kiyoyama," he replied. "She was an S Class wizard, a few years younger than Gildarts. Looks, I don't want to talk about her. Thinking about her death is a bit painful."

"Sorry," she apologized softly. "Won't ask again."

"It's alright," he replied, gently taking her hand. "What happened is just, a sore spot for everyone in a guild. It's been a long time, but it's still hard to talk about." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You'll get the full story though, just, not right now."

"Too painful to talk about even 9 years later," said Bisca softly. "Wow, must've been something really bad. Well then, I promise I won't ask about it. Tell me when you're ready." She looked up towards the mountains. "Until then, let's just focus on the mission the master gave us. Finding out where Underworld origin is located is top priority." Alzack nodded, thankful for her not pressing the matter.

"Yeah, now let's get a move on."

* * *

Cana held a job flier as she and Juvia rode the train.

"Right now, Oak Town is suffering from an influx of dark magic related sickness. Unfortunately, we won't be able to use any healing spells on these people because when dark magic makes you sick, it's useless to use magic on it. It just makes it worse." She looked up at Juvia. "It'll be hard to help these people."

"So then what are we going to do," Juvia asked, leaning forward a bit. "How are we the perfect people for this job?" Cana smirked and held up her cards.

"Well, the job is only healing the townsfolk, and the only way to help them is to stop the magic power from infecting their water supply. You're perfectly suited to do that, and I can use my card magic to put up a barrier that will purify the magic before it can reach the townsfolk. Then once the tainted magic leaves their systems, they can go back to their normal daily lives. It'll take a while to do, but the spell should last for a few weeks. Hopefully by then though, we'll have a clue as to where the magic power is coming from. Once we take out the dark guild, which is what I'm assuming is causing the influx of dark magic power, then hopefully they won't need to barrier up for long and we can take it down before we leave."

"Sounds like a good plan Cana," Juvia praised. "but don't we need approval from the magic council to fight a dark guild?"

"Nope," replied Cana with a smirk, "because it's part of the job. If someone puts up a job that involves dark guilds, well then we're allowed to take them. The job itself is permission." She held up her right arm, "and I borrowed something special for this fight!" Juvia looked and noticed the tattoo like patterns of the Fairy Glitter spell peaking out from Cana's jacket.

"Fairy Glitter? Did Master Mavis give you the spell?"

"Sort of." She put a hand over her arm. "After the Grand Magic Games, she gave it to me permanently, on the grounds that I don't abuse the spell. Before she let me borrow it, and her power, but now it's all mine. Of course, she warned me that in order to wield Fairy Glitter, I'd be using my own power entirely, and not borrowing hers like I had before."

"That seems like a lot of responsibility," said Juvia as she stared at Cana's arm. "Are you sure you're ready for all of that?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I won't use it unless I have to. Although she did say she had a feeling we'd need it in the near future. My cards haven't given me a read of anything cataclysmic happening any time soon, but…" She trailed off. "I don't know, ever since Maddie showed up, it's like the future is uncertain."

"You don't think she's done something, have you?" Juvia frowned. "Cana, she's only a child."

"I'm not saying she's malicious or anything." She looked out the window. "I don't know, but I can't get a read on her or anything about her past or her future. I just don't know what to do about her."

"That's kind of sad," said Juvia softly. "Maybe she has some sort of spell placed on her?"

"It's possible," Cana replied, shuffling around her cards. "I mean, her memories were taken weren't they? Whoever did that could've cast another spell that made it hard for anyone to discern anything about her. Spells like that are rare, but not unheard of. There's a story about a woman who was cursed to die for scorning someone, but no one knew when or how, and no matter how many people she consulted with, no one could see when or where she'd die, or even the circumstances of her death."

"What happened to her," Juvia asked, leaning forward in anticipation.

"Well she went to visit an old woman in a forest, known for her amazing ability to be completely accurate and extremely detailed about any point in a person's past, present or future, and she asked when she would die and how. The woman smiled at her and told her 'right here, right now, by my hand'. She then took a dagger used for her spells and killed the girl. Turns out, the old woman was the grandmother of a child that the woman had killed due to her own carelessness. No one knows the details of the death, but it's widely known in the story that it was the woman's fault that the child died."

"What a gruesome story," Juvia replied. "I wonder how the child died."

"So do I," said Cana as she leaned on the armrest by the window, "but we can only imagine. Anything else you wanna talk about on the way there?"

"My beloved Gray," said Juvia excited, hearts in her eyes.

"Yeah, about that," started Cana, "look Juvia, I like you and all, but you need to chill."

"Chill," Juvia repeated. "What do you mean chill?"

"The way you act with Gray isn't healthy," Cana replied. "It's not bad to have feelings for someone, in fact it's a good thing, but you take it to a whole other level." Cana clasped her hands together, leaning forward. "Keep in mind that I'm saying this to you as a friend because I care about you. You have no identity outside of Gray. What are your interests? What kind of music do you like? Do you like animals? None of us know anything about you other than that you love Gray. You're incredible Juvia, but you should live outside the identity of being in love with him." Juvia smiled a bit, looking down at her lap.

"I understand what you're saying," she said softly, "but I suppose, the truth I don't really know who I am myself. All my life the rain that always followed me has defined me. Once that was gone, which I was grateful for, I didn't know how else to define myself." She looked back up at Cana. "It's just, more comfortable for me to think about him all the time. When I think about him, I feel at peace. I don't have to worry about finding out who I am. I only have to worry about what he likes."

"If you do that then you're not gonna like the person you become," Cana pointed out. "You need to do things because you like them and to make you happy. Dress in styles that make you happy. Do things that make you happy outside of Gray. Pick up painting, write, explore. It's hard to create an identity for yourself, but it'll be worth it in the end, because all that matters is that you're happy with yourself. You can't honestly say that you're happy with yourself as you are now." Juvia looked back down at her lap.

"You're right," she said after several moments, "but I don't know where to start." Cana smirked.

"That's why I asked you on this job. Doing this without Gray will be a good place to start!" Juvia looked back up at her and smiled.

"Yeah, you're right!"

* * *

They reached the village, frowning at how dead the place seemed.

"Cana, are you sure this is the right place," Juvia asked, turning towards her companion.

"Yeah, this is the place," she replied. She looked from the flyer to the town in front of them, "but where are all the towns folks." She held up three cards. " **The Magician, Justice, Wall, Purity Barrier!** " Around both Cana and Juvia came a magic barrier. "These barriers will protect us from dark magic, but they aren't very strong against attacks. They'll work for keeping us from getting sick though." Juvia nodded.

"Good thinking Cana!" She looked towards the town. "Now, where do you suppose we can find the town head or mayor?"

"I'm guessing town hall," said Cana, pointing at a building. "That's the largest one, and it's in the center, so that must be it."

"I don't think I've ever seen a town hall that looks so perfectly circular," noted Juvia.

"Neither have I," Cana agreed, "but they must have their reasons."

"Well then we should get getting over there then." They both started walking over towards the building, a bit creeped out by the emptiness of the streets. Juvia started humming quietly.

"I didn't know you liked to hum," Cana noted.

"I don't," Juvia admitted. "Not that I hated, it's just not a habit of mine. I just, I can't stand silence of any kind. Growing up with the rain, I always had some sort of ambient noise in the background. It was comforting. But not hearing anything, it makes me nervous."

"Well that's not something I knew before," said Cana with a smile. "It makes sense though. It's nice to find out something new about a friend." She stopped as they came upon the steps to town hall. "We're here." She looked back at Juvia. "Are you ready for this? Once we go in there, we're committed to fighting a whole dark guild alone, without back up. Are you sure that you're ready?" Juvia nodded, looking towards the building.

"I'm ready for this." Cana smiled and walked towards the doors with Juvia following behind her.

Once they entered the building, they could practically see the sickness in the people inside. Many were covered in dark spots that glowed with a malefic energy, some were so pale that their skin was snow white, and a few even looked so emaciated that it seemed as if they hadn't eaten in days. One of these people came up to the two of them.

"Hello," he said in a harsh, dry voice, "my name is Jeremis and I'm the mayor of Oak Town."

"What happened to your people," asked Juvia in horror, her hand over her mouth.

"This is the sickness that has leaked into our water," he informed them. "Because of this, our people are very sick. We were hoping the two of you could cure our sickness."

"Well it can't be cured," said Cana, "but what we can do is purify the water and put up a barrier in order to prevent any further illness. Once it's not being pumped into your systems, it should clear up many of your symptoms. Give it three or four days, and your symptoms will all clear up." She looked around at all the people. "Can I ask why everyone's at town hall?"

"Well, people say that our town hall is a holy ground of sorts," Jeremis explained. "I don't know why, but it seems to be true. While our symptoms aren't going away, by staying here they don't seem to be getting any worse. Any food or water brought in here doesn't seem to be bad anymore."

"Could be the structure of the building itself," said Juvia thoughtfully as she looked around. "It may be that building is truly a magic circle. It would explain the shape. In ancient times, many people would make buildings with enchantments carved into them to protect their people. Although an entire building being turned into a magic circle isn't something I've ever heard of."

"It is strange," said Cana, a hand on her chin. "Why would a dark guild take residence up somewhere this close when there's a building that has a powerful protective magic circle?"

"I don't know," said Jeremis. "But please, help our people."

"Of course," replied Juvia. "I know a powerful water purification spell. I'll purify the water while Cana puts up a barrier to protect the town from any further damage from this sickness."

"Thank you both," said the mayor as he bowed to them. "Please, save our village."

* * *

Cana and Juvia stood outside of the town, at the river that had a slightly violet color to it. Juvia got on one knee and put a hand to the water.

"There's no doubt about it," said Juvia as she shook the tainted water off of her hand, "this river is tainted. The spell will take a while." She held both hands out and closed her eyes, a gentle blue glow coming from her hands. " **Oh nymphs and spirits of the sea, aid me in my humble quest. Bestow thy great power onto me and let the darkness here be recessed. Take the stains from the water pure, and never again shall such taint endure.** **Purity Flow!** " Magic power flowed out of her as the water shone with her, slowly becoming a happier shade of blue. Cana folded her arms over her chest as she watched Juvia.

"That's a bit of a long spell," she noted. "I didn't know you knew any lengthy spells, or non battle spells."

"I know a lot of water magic," said Juvia proudly as she stood up. "I just have never had a chance to use it. I can control water, but I can do so much more with it was well. Water can be very healing, if you know the right spells. Of course, I can't heal anything like Wendy can, but I can purify darkness with my water."

"That's interesting," said Cana with a smile as she tilted her head, a hand on her hip. "I'm glad I asked you to come on this mission with me. It seems I'm learning more about you than I ever did over a year." Juvia smiled and gave her a small, friendly laugh.

"I'm glad to get closer to one of my guildmates," she replied. "How long do you think it'll take you to set up the barrier?"

"Gimme a few hours," Cana said confidently as she held up a few cards. I just need to place four of each copy of these cards in the cardinal directions, and then we'll bee good!" She tucked her cars away. "Why don't you head back to town hall? Go check to see if they've got any booze for me!"

"Cana," Juvia said with a sweat drop, "you're going to drink on a job?"

"Can't sleep without a good night's drinking binge," she replied cheerfully, "and it'll take me a while to set these up, so by the time I'm done it'll be about time for me to drink before bed!"

"Alright," Juvia conceded, heading into town. "I'll be waiting for you!" Cana waved her off, heading towards her first location, the east.

"It's nice to see her away from Gray," said Cana as she put down the cards and cast the spell, chanting quietly and charging it. She continued to do this at two other points, the sun starting to dip in the sky due to how long it took her to charge up each of the cards in order to properly cover the whole town. She was on her last card, the north, close to the mountains, when she saw someone coming towards her far too fast. "You… No, get away from me!" She threw up her arms and screamed.


	8. Memories of a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juvia and Cana run into Gildarts, who joins them on their journey into the Diamond Scale Mountains. Both they and Bisca and Alzack are getting closer to the core of what's going on, but just what will they find? Are their targets both the same?

Juvia sat in a chair at town hall, sighing as she looked out the window.

"Cana, it surely can't take so long to cast the barrier spell?"

"It's best not to fret child," said an old woman covered in spot as she handed Juvia a glass of water, one hand resting on a cane. "Here, drink. It's good water, you cleaned it yourself."

"Oh, no thank you," Juvia politely declined. "You see, my body is made of water. I have no need to actually drink any. I can just absorb what's in the air and that works. I only need water if it's a dry climate. It's been like that ever since I was born."

"What a delightful power," replied the kind woman, sitting next to her and putting both hands on her cane, leaving the glass of water on a table next to them. "My name is Mary Song, I'm the old hag of this place!" She laughed at herself. "And you're one of the wizards who took the job to save our quaint town, aren't you?"

"Yes I am. My name's Juvia Lockser and I'm a water wizard."

"I can tell." The old woman turned her head towards Juvia and smiled. "You seem to be quite gifted if your body's natural state is water. Every,  _very_  few wizards have bodies that are already naturally in their elemental forms, and it's something only elemental wizards like yourself can have. There are legends of people like yourself spoken of in this village."

"Really," asked Juvia, leaning towards the woman. "I've never heard of anything like that before. I'm the only person I've ever met that was like me."

"Well there have been others," Mary replied. "This village speaks of a woman who was once made of diamonds. Of course, when she was diamonds, she couldn't move." The woman looked up towards the sky, as if she could see the diamonds that would've started to peak out at that time. "That story is over 400 hundred years old though. It's probably changed so many times that no one knows what the real story is anymore."

"I'd love to hear it," Juvia said honestly. "I love hearing new stories."

"Well child, it starts in the Diamond Scale Mountains. Back then, they were called Gemaria's Domain." Before she could say anything else, Juvia heard Cana's loud scream.

"Cana!" Juvia stood up in alarm, her body turning into water. "I'm sorry, but I have to go!" Her body turned into a stream of water that shot out the doors.  _"Cana, I'm coming!"_

When she reached where she heard the scream coming from, she stopped, her body turning back to normal. Instead of seeing Cana, bloodied and beaten like she'd been expecting, she saw Cana, held princess style and being smothered by her hulking father, Gildarts Clive, his travel pack tossed aside so he could do the aforementioned action.

" ** _Get off of me old man_** ," Cana demanded as she pushed his face away from her.

"Oh come on honey," he whined, "it's been months! Besides I saw how you did in the Grand Magic Games, and I wanted to congratulate you!" Juvia couldn't help but laugh quietly, a hand over her mouth as she watched the two of them.

"I'm here on a job you boozed up old man," she yelled, managing to get out of his grasp, dusting herself off as she spoke. "What are you even doing here?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought you were on a training mission."

"I was, but then I sensed a strange magic power coming from here." He looked towards the mountains, a serious expression on his face. "You know those mountains right there?"

"Well they're there," she replied sarcastically, "but no I don't know the mountain range's name if that's what you're asking for. I didn't really pay attention to what was near the town. Truth be told I was hoping that we'd be able to find the guild responsible for this town's problems a lot closer."

"Those are the Diamond Scale Mountains," he said, pointing at them. "Remember who was from here?" Cana looked at the mountains and her eyes widened again.

"Wait, wasn't Hope-"

"Yeah."

"Excuse me," said Juvia, walking up to them and frowning, "who's Hope?"

"How could you not know Hope Kiyoyama," asked Gildarts in disbelief. "She's one hell of a spitfire! Trust me, you don't wanna get on her bad side. Although in the past few trips I've made to the guild I haven't seen her or Isi. Wonder if they left the guild. Now that I think of it, I haven't seen Manna either. I know a lot of people were leaving around that time, but them? Can't imagine them quitting."

"Hope didn't quit. Hope died," said Cana in a deadpan tone. "She died a year after you left, a few months after Lisanna. Manna too."

"Wait, the both of them," Gildarts said in shock. "How?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," said Cana as she turned away from him. "I'm not here to think about that. Juvia and I are here on a job that you won't interfere with." She looked back towards the mountains. "Juvia, do you sense any magic power coming from there?"

"Yes," she replied, looking up at the mountains with her. "It's strong too. Not like anything I've ever felt before. And I definitely don't feel anything good from it."

"Come on. We've got a lot of walking to do." She turned towards her father. "And you  _aren't_  coming along! If you do and something goes sideways then we loose the reward since you're from our guild but didn't take the job."

"Cana, I think it might be good to have Gildarts for back up." Juvia put a hand on Cana's shoulder. "If we do that, then we can defeat them quicker and get home even sooner. Besides, with magic power this strong, even if you're an S Class candidate and I'm former S Class myself, I'm not sure that we can defeat this guild ourselves. Not with this kind of magic power."

"Fine," sighed out Cana in defeat, "but the minute this hits the fan you're out of here!"

"You won't regret this," Gildarts said with a smile and a thumbs up as he slung his pack back over his shoulder.

"I'm already regretting this," Cana replied with a sigh. "Whatever, let's go. We need to check out the mountains and kick out the jerks who'd ruin them."

"Tomorrow," said Juvia. "Cana the sun has set and you haven't eaten since the train. We need to be well rested."

"Alright then, first thing tomorrow."

* * *

Maddie stood outside of Lucy's apartment in the night, sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, her feet just inches above the river.

"I can't stop thinking about that dream," she said softly to herself. She looked up towards the sky. "I want to remember, but he told me it'd be dangerous for me to remember." Her mind flashed to the face of the man who took her memories. For some reason, she couldn't actually see his face, or anyone's face. She held a token, one that was yellow and had a shooting star on it, before closing her fingers around it. "I can't, I can't remember everything. But I still want to know who I am." She remembered the woman who had been pierced by the darkness. "She died to protect me, I know it…" Maddie started to cry. "Mama, Papa, that nice woman, so many people died to save me and I don't know why!" She wiped her eyes and looked at the star token again, still tearing up as she looked at it, but it was easier to see. "I just want to know why, but I can't know why if I don't remember. But I can't let myself remember until I know why they're after me!"

"Maddie," came Happy's soft, sleepy voice behind her. She wiped away her tears and turned to look at him.

"What are you doing up Happy," she asked as he went to sit next to her.

"I heard you get up," he replied. "I thought you went to the bathroom or something but then you didn't come back so I came looking for ya. What's wrong? You look like you've been crying."

"It's nothing." She looked down at her token.

"You're too young to say that," Happy teased. "Come on Maddie, I promise I won't tell anyone."

"Promise? Well, promise to not even tell Natsu?" Happy hesitated at that thought. He and Natsu shared everything. But after a moment's consideration he nodded.

"I promise. Now please, what's wrong Maddie?" She started to sniffle and tear up again.

"More people than just my mama and papa died to protect me," she sobbed. "There was this big group of people, they were trying to get me through a door or something, and, and there was a woman who was really kind. I didn't remember her well but in my memory I remembered really liking her and caring for her. And then she, she, she died!" She sobbed into her hands. "I know, I just more that there's more people that I can't remember! They died so I could get to Fairy Tail! It's my fault, and I don't even know why! I can't, I can't remember why!" Happy watched as this little girl, this girl who could be no more than 6, sob and act like someone who had lived as long as maybe even Master Makarov.

"Hey," he said softly, rubbing her back, "it's alright. You didn't hurt them, it's not your fault."

"But they were protecting me," she argued. "They were protecting me from Underworld Origin."

"Underworld Origin killed them. You didn't do it. Besides, they did it so you could live and be safe. I've lost friends like that, but they're never dead, not really."

"Really," said Maddie with a sniffle, looking at him and wiping her eyes.

"Yeah," he said with a big smile. "When our friends die, they may not be with us physically, but they're always here, in our hearts." He closed his eyes and put a hand over his own. "That's something our friend Hope said when she passed away."

"Who's Hope," Maddie asked.

"She was a member of our guild 2 years ago," he replied. "Well, more like 9. Sometimes I forget we spent 7 in a bubble. She was an amazing wizard, and did her best to protect everyone. She was actually about how old Bisca and Alzack are when she died, maybe a few years older."

"What happened," she asked, tucking in her knees and hugging them as she listened in curiosity.

"Well, recently one of the teams in Fairy Tail had taken down a dark guild," he explained, "but someone didn't like that, someone who had a hand on one of the Books of Zeref. They sent the beast to Magnolia and started to wreck the place, heading towards Fairy Tail. We all tried to fight him off, but he was just so strong. Finally, she managed to take him down using all she had, but in the process she ended up using up the rest of her life force and died. She turned into ashes in the guildhall."

"That's so sad," said Maddie softly. "She shouldn't have had to die."

"No," he agreed, "but she did. When she was dying, we all gathered around her, her husband held her hand, and she was smiling the whole time. She told us that she wasn't dying, not really. She said that she'd live on inside of all our hearts. She told us that she didn't want us to let her hold us back from anything. She loved everyone in the guild a lot."

"She sounds wonderful," said Maddie with a smile.

"She was," he replied. "She could be forgetful and got mad easily, but when it came down to it she cared. Even if sometimes it didn't seem like it cause she was upset."

"Everyone gets upset sometimes," she said. "My mama told me that." She laughed a little. "I remember so many things now for some reason. Like my papa hated the color white, and liked to eat spicy things. My mama liked bright colors and she liked to eat sweets, which papa teased her for eating and told her she'd gain weight. We were happy…" She looked down at her token. "I want to remember everything, but I was told it'd be too dangerous to let myself remember."

"Why," asked Happy. "Underworld Origin already found you. Why keep yourself from remembering?"

"Because he said I'd have my full power," she replied, holding the token tightly. "He told me that if I got all my memories back then I'd get my full power back. I don't know what'll happen when I do that. I'm kind of scared. How much power do I really have?"

"I don't know," said Happy as he munched on a fish that he hadn't had before, "but isn't being strong a good thing? If you don't want anyone to suffer like your parents did, then why not get stronger? Every time Natsu gets beaten down by someone stronger, he finds just that tiny bit of extra strength and comes out on top, but only because he lets himself reach his full power. If you want to protect yourself, you should be strong and let yourself remember. Besides, you may not have your parents, but you might still have family out there somewhere. How are you ever gonna know if you don't remember?"

"Happy, you're the best." She gave him a hug, holding him close as he happily returned it.

"Aye sir," he replied as he pulled away. "Now why are you holding that token?"

"I don't know," she said honestly, looking down at it. "Sometimes a token just feels warm to me. Like home, and then I want to use it. I can only use them when they let me though. There are some that I can't remember how to use at all. But some of them, it just feels like I'm supposed to use it. Like I need to use it."

"I think your heart's trying to tell you something then. You should use it." She smiled at him and nodded, standing up and tossing the token into the air.

" **Release, Seal of the Heavens, Starlight!** " The token disappeared, and both of her hands shone with bright starlight that was so intense, Happy had to shield his eyes.

"Wow, it's so bright," he exclaimed. She held out one of her hands and it sent what looked like a bolt of starlight straight into the river, making it explode underwater. "Wow, that one looks dangerous!"

"Yeah," she mumbled as she felt the memory come on, her eyes going blank.

* * *

_Maddie was running through a flowery field towards a hill, a boy with blue hair gently grabbing her hand and pulling her along._

" _Where are we going Amir," she asked with a small laugh. He stopped and turned to her, his grayish purple eyes shining with mischief and excitement._

" _We're going to my secret spot," he replied. "I wanted to share it with you cause you're my friend and mean a lot to me!"_

" _What about Para," she asked as he turned around and kept going. "Wouldn't she want to see it too? What about Silver? Harper?"_

" _But none of them are my best friend," he responded. "Now come on."_

" _Alright, alright," she said, pouting, "I'm coming!"_

_After running for a little while they came to the top of the hill and stopped._

" _This is what I wanted to show you," he said proudly. Maddie gasped in amazement and wonder as she looked out on the forest landscape that bordered the ocean._

" _Amir, it's so pretty up here," she squealed out. "I love it!"_

" _This can be our secret spot," he said as he sat down. "No one else knows about this spot but me. Whenever the others are getting to be too much, we can just escape to here and get away from everyone."_

" _I like that idea," she replied as she sat down next to him. "Our own secret place, just for the two of us, cause we're best friends!"_

" _Yeah! You're my best friend!" She giggled and hugged him tightly. "And you'll be my best friend forever!"_

* * *

A tear ran down Maddie's cheek as she thought of him.

"Amir," she mumbled.

"What?" Happy shook her gently. "Maddie, are you okay?" She shook her head and wiped her eyes.

"Yeah, I am," she replied. "I'm… happy actually. I remembered my best friend, Amir. I miss him. I hope he's safe wherever he is." She yawned. "I really, really miss him."

"Come on," said Happy as he gently grabbed her hands. "It's still the middle of the night. You need to get some sleep."

"Okay."

* * *

Bisca and Alzack were climbing up the mountains at a dangerous vertical climb.

"Are we sure this was the best idea," asked Alzack.

"Do you know a path around here," she asked. "Neither of us know any air magic so we can't fly. We have to climb. Besides, the tracker path went straight up before it disappeared and we don't have time to check around for clues to where they were to cast the spell again."

"Alright," he replied, looking back up. "Hey, remember the last time we did something like this on a job?"

"Like it was yesterday," she replied with a smile as she pulled herself up. "That was a high paying job. It was almost a million jewel. I'm surprised that Macao let us take it after the Tenrou Team disappeared."

"But it was one of the best jobs," he reminded, looking at her and smiling. "That's the night I finally worked up the courage to tell you how I felt."

"That night was so romantic," she said with a smile as she pulled herself up onto a ledge. "And I'm glad you did. Then several months later I finally worked up the courage to ask you to marry me." She helped him up onto the ledge.

"That was the happiest day of my life," he said with a smile, "with Asca's birth being a close second."

"I can see that," she replied with a sad smile. "I miss her. I don't think we've ever been away from her this long before."

"Yeah." He looked towards the mountain, at the cave they had managed to reach. "Let's hurry and confirm their headquarters so that we can hurry home. Remember, we're just supposed to confirm the location. We're not supposed to engage them in a fight."

"Good thing Natsu's not here," Alzack noted. "We'd be in big trouble if he was."

* * *

Natsu sneezed very loudly and very hard, almost hitting the back of guildhall.

"Man, that actually kinda hurt," he said as he wiped his nose.

"Maybe you should wear something warmer," suggested Lucy as she took a sip of her drink. "Those clothes aren't very warm."

"But I like them." He replied. "Besides, if I get cold I can make my own fire, or I could just sit next to someone if I'm that cold." To prove his point, he sat very close to her and smiled. "See, I'm warmer already!"

"Get away," she shouted, her face red as she pushed him away and made him land head first on the floor. "Don't do that! You're gonna give people the wrong idea!"

"What are you talking about," he asked as he sat up and rubbed the large red bump on his forehead. "That hurt you know!"

"You don't do stuff like that unless you're dating," she said, still flushed. "And we are  _not_  dating!"

"You make it sound like it'd be a bad thing if we did," he replied, frowning and crossing his arms over his chest. "Geez, is that so bad?"

"Of course not," she answered all too fast. "It's just, we're not dating so don't make people think we are!"

"Mira, what are Lucy and Natsu doing," asked Maddie as she climbed up a stool and sat on it.

"Flirting," she replied with a smile.

"They  _liiiiike_  each other," teased Happy as he watched them.

"They're teammates," said Maddie, the idea totally going over her head. "Shouldn't they like each other? Otherwise they wouldn't work well together."

"It's not like that," Mira replied, leaning over the counter so Maddie could hear her quiet words. "You see, they like like each other. Romantically, like your parents liked each other."

"Oh," said Maddie, now understanding. "But why don't they act like it? They never kiss, and from what I remember my mama and papa kissed a lot."

"Because it's a bit scary," Mira replied. "Falling in love is always nerve wracking. Not to mention, Lucy's never had a boyfriend before. And Natsu, well he's scared."

"What's Natsu got to be scared of," asked Happy. "He's only scared of trains."

"Because he loved Lisanna," Mira replied, looking over at her little sister as she talked to the Thunder Legion, who she seemed to have gotten close to recently. "He loved her and then he lost her. He doesn't love her anymore, at least not like that, but I'm sure he's scared that if he lets Lucy in like that, then he'll loose her too. But for Lucy's it's purely the nerves." She looked back over at the two as they bickered.

"I know we're not dating," he replied, "but you act as if it'd be the end of the world sometimes. It's kind of hurtful you know?"

"Really," asked Lucy, a little surprised. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that."

"I mean people are always asking you who you're dating, and it kinda hurts when you say you'd never date me."

"It's not like that Natsu," she replied. "It's just, I've never seen you as the kind to date. I mean, you've never asked a girl out before, not since I've been here."

"I don't ask out girls who I don't like," he said as if it were obvious, "and I don't ask out girls who clearly have no interest in me. So yeah I haven't asked a girl out before. Those haven't exactly crossed over for some reason."

"That makes sense." She smiled. "I bet if you did ever date anyone you'd be a really good boyfriend. At least you can sweep her off her feet for sure."

"You bet," he replied with a big smile.

"Oh those two," said Mira with a sigh and a smile. "I wonder if they're ever gonna see it."

"Yeah," said Happy. "Usually seeing those two act like that is fun to tease, but this is kinda just painful."

"Maybe they need a little push," suggested Maddie.

"Maybe," said Mira, her eyes showing that she was already scheming and working something out.

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Maddie.

* * *

**Leave Reviews**

* * *

Cana, Gildarts, and Juvia were floating up the mountain cliffs, using Juvia's Water Lock to go through the air. Once they landed on a ledge leading to a cave, Juvia made all the water disappear.

"That was awesome Juvia," Cana praised. "You've got some great spells!"

"Thank you. I do try my best to make sure my magic is to its fullest capabilities! Besides, if I can't do something that simple, then what use am I?"

"This cave has a dark energy around it," said Gildarts as he looked it. "If this dark guild is anywhere, then my money's on them being here."

"That's why I dropped us off here," said Juvia as she looked inside. "If this dark magic is coming from anywhere, it has to be through here."

"This magic is really creepy," said Cana, "but it feels familiar somehow."

"I know what you mean," Gildarts replied. "Come on, let's go in." They all started walking into the dark environment.

" **The Sun!** " Cana held up the tarot card to create light so that they could see. The cave system was damp and dark, with water dripping down every now and then. "This place reeks. It smells worse than my aunt's bathroom."

"Don't talk about Ruby," said Gildarts. "I really hate Ruby."

"We both do," Cana replied.

"Is there bad blood between you and your aunt," Juvia asked, leaning forward a bit.

"You could say that," she replied. "I don't want to talk about her."

"Alright." Juvia pretended not to be bothered and looked around. "It's almost like this place is echoing the darkness. I can't track it anymore."

"That is never a good thing," said Gildarts. "There's probably magic in these caves. You can find it, at least in a general sense, but once you're inside, you can't find anything. I've only seen this spell in practice once before since you have to have an actual location to cast it on. It doesn't work on towns or anything, only self-contained environments like this. I was on that job for three months trying to find my target!"

"I can imagine why," said Juvia. "We need to be careful then. Cana, how much magic are you using up on that card?"

"Barely anything," she replied. "When I use just one card for something so simple, I usually replenish my magic as fast as I'm using it, so I'll be fine."

"That's what we need to worry about." Gildarts started rummaging around his pack. "What we need to worry about is food and water. I've got about a month's worth of food in here." He looked at them. "You guys didn't bring anything to eat did you?"

"Why would we need it," asked Cana as she crossed her arms over her chest. "It's a simple cave system."

"If this place is anything like Hope said, then it's gonna be a huge maze." He put his pack back on his back. "I can share my food, but that leaves us to about a week." He placed a hand on the wall and closed his eyes. "Damn, it's harder to hold back than I thought." He stayed silent for a few seconds before taking his hand off, a squared pattern left on the wall. "Let's make sure to leave these to make sure we can make our way back."

"That's a good idea," said Juvia. "We can't collect our reward if we can't get out."

"But we also need to be careful," said Cana as she pulled out some of her cards. "If we can't sense them, we have no idea when someone could come out and attack us. We've gotta be ready to fight at any given moment."

"I don't think we'll have a problem with that," said Juvia with a small laugh. "I think being in the same guild as Natsu has given us the perfect training for that!"

* * *

Natsu sneezed hard once again.

"Are you getting a cold," asked Lucy as she handed him a handkerchief.

"I hope not," he said before blowing his nose. "I hate medicine."

* * *

"Yeah, that's pretty true," said Cana with a smile. "But still, we don't know who might be around here."

* * *

Bisca and Alzack were walking through the cave systems.

"I know we can't feel our way around," started Alzack, "but I feel that we're close. I feel it in my gut. Call it instinct."

"I feel it too," she replied. "I think we're getting super close. Hopefully that means we can take the nearest train back to Magnolia and get back in before nighttime."

"It'd be nice to tuck in Asca again."

"We'll get back soon." Bisca gently slipped her hand into his. "I promise. This is just locating. We're not even fighting yet."

"I know." He smiled at her. "And then we can both get cleaned up. You need a shower." She whacked him in the back of the head. "Ow! Hey, I need one too!"

"Then say that, not that I need one." She laughed and kissed his cheek. "I know you didn't mean any harm by it though." She looked towards the caves in front of her. "We're at a fork with five prongs. Which way should we go?"

"Hm, my gut says lucky number four," he replied.

"Since when is four a lucky number?"

"It's a long story," he replied. "But let's go down path number four."

"Alright," she said as she walked down the path with him. "Wanna tell me the story? It could be a while."

"Well, Hope used to live here. I told you that, right?" She nodded. "She liked the numbers four and eight a lot. No one knows why, not even her, but she would always do things in fours or eights. So I picked the fourth cave."

"That's kind of sweet," she replied. "I bet Hope was great."

"Depends on whether or not you were on her bad side or not." He couldn't help but smile. "Macao and Wakaba were almost always on her bad side."

"Well know who they are I'm guessing that she had good reasons." He laughed.

"You're right about that. They got her mad a lot." He stopped. "Do you see that?" She squinted, pulling out her rifle and looking through the scope.

"It's hard to see in the dark, but the scope helps. It looks like a set of doors."

"We found their base," he said as he got on one knee, pulling his pack off of his back and pulling out a lacrima. "Let's tell the master so we can head home. We can come up with a plan from there."

"Finally," she said in relief as she sat next to him. He frowned as he looked at the lacrima. "What's wrong?"

"The lacrima won't work," he said. "There's probably a spell around here." He looked up suddenly. "Someone's coming. We should hide." They both went and hide behind some stalagmites, watching as three shadows and a moving light source came into view.

"This looks like it could be the place," came Cana's voice. Bisca and Alzack both frowned.

"Is that Cana," she asked.

"And we didn't even wander around here for days like Gildarts thought we would," said Juvia happily.

"And Juvia," said Alzack as they came out. "Hey guys, what are you doing here?"

"Well if it ain't Fairy Tail's best couple," said Gildarts with a smile as he saw them. "Then again, you're currently their only couple."

"Gildarts, you're here too," asked Bisca in surprise.

"Kinda ended up here yeah."

"Why are you guys at the gates of Underworld Origin," asked Alzack.

"Uh…." Gildarts looked at the doors. "What's Underworld Origin?"

"It's an organization," said Juvia as she looked at the doors. "They seem to be a dark guild, but they don't call themselves that." She looked back at the Connells. "Cana and I came here on a job, and we ran into Gildarts. We thought that it was a dark guild. Their darkness was so powerful it was poisoning the water. We fixed that and technically, one could argue that we were done with our job after we solved that problem, but we wanted to make sure that they wouldn't continue to be a problem."

"If we'd known it was them, we'd have called for back up." Cana folded her arms over her chest. "We need to head back to Oak Town. The mayor gave us the job. We need to tell him to have his people evacuate and then head back to the guild and bring everyone back here."

"This organization is that serious of a threat," asked Gildarts. "Then why haven't they come out?"

"What do you mean," asked Bisca, looking towards the door.

"We're talking right outside their door and they aren't coming out. Don't you think someone would've noticed us?"

"That is a little suspicious," said Cana as she pulled out her cards with her free hand, her right still holding the Sun card and providing light. "This could be a trap guys."

"It would explain why our communication lacrima doesn't work." Alzack held up said lacrima. "It won't even give us a bad image. It's just not working."

"What if no one's here," asked Juvia. Bisca shrugged.

"Well we have been tracking them for a week now. It's possible that they moved locations because we got close."

"One way to find out said Gildarts as he opened the door. They all looked in, Cana taking the lead since she had the light. She stopped cold as she stared, a horrified look on her face.

"These are…"

* * *

A black cloud moved on Magnolia, full of dark magic, a man flying in front of it with a staff carved like a cracked star. He wore his dark blue, almost black hair back in a bun, and pitch black robes.

"We descend upon Magnolia," he proclaimed. "Take the child, but don't mortally harm anyone! Leave them all alive, but just barely!"


	9. Hell At Our Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Underworld Origin makes it to Magnolia, trying to break into the guild but unable to get past a magic barrier. The guild fights to protect the guild while Natsu hunts Thanatos in the chaos for revenge. All of this brings the attention of Mavis Vermillion and the rest of the members of Crime Sorciere. Levy makes a discovery and heads back to Magnolia with Gajeel and Pantherlily, unaware of the chaos they're going to be coming into.

On the peaceful Tenrou Island, Mavis Vermillion sat on a tree branch, her eyes closed as the night wind rustled through her hair.

"Something feels wrong," she said softly to herself. "Something feels very wrong. Like time is corrupted." She opened her eyes, looking towards the ocean, looking right at where Fairy Tail would be. "Something's happening. There's dark, dark power at the guild I love." She stood up on the branch and jumped off, flying faster than maybe even Jet towards the guild. "The guild is in trouble. This may be the time that we must awaken Fairy Tail's ultimate weapon. But I have to hurry, I need to be there!"

* * *

Jellal turned suddenly as he and Meldy walked along a path in the country. It was bright outside, but thanks to their hoods, any who did pass by, should any pass at all, would've been unable to see their faces.

"Jellal, what's wrong," asked Meldy. "You've been quite for a long time now."

"I feel dark magic. It's Zeref's magic, I'm sure of it. It's so faint I can barely feel it, but it's there." He turned towards her. "You have the map right? What's the nearest town to here?"

"That would be," she said as she pulled out her map, "Magnolia. Wait, isn't that where the Fairy Tail guild is?"

"It is," he replied as she sped up his pace. "We need to go."

* * *

Cana looked on in horror at what lay in front of her.

"There are…. Dragon bones!"

The skeleton of a dragon was placed on a pedestal, decorated in gems of every color. The skeleton had been carefully put together so that it looked like the bones of the wings were outstretched. Should there have been an actual dragon there, it would've looked like a proud dragon, trying to present themselves to the world.

"Are those Gemaria's bones," asked Alzack in horror, his hand over his mouth.

"They have to be," said Gildarts. "Who else could it be? She was the only dragon living here."

"You knew this dragon," asked Juvia in confusion.

"No," responded Cana, her free hand gripped tightly. "We never met Gemaria, not personally. But she was important to Hope. She was the dragon who raised her."

"Wait, but that means-"

"Hope was a Dragon Slayer," Alzack finished for Bisca. "She was the Diamond Dragon Slayer."

"Was she the woman of diamonds that Mary mentioned," Juvia asked herself.

"It's possible," said Cana. "When Hope was a young girl, her and her dragon were attacked by other Dragon Slayers. Gemaria turned Hope into a diamond statue to protect her. The spell was so strong that she stayed like that for over 400 years. When the spell dissipated finally, that much time had already passed. That just shows you how strong the magic of dragons was. No wonder even the Dragon Slayers had such a hard time defeating them."

"But how could she possibly be alive," asked Bisca.

"She died 9 years ago," said Alzack, "but Gemaria's spell kept her alive. The whole time she was in a state of stasis, like the Fairy Bubble."

"Why are these here," asked Gildarts, his fists clenched. "Who the hell would decorate Gemaria's bones like this. If Hope were here, she'd be disgusted. She told us that she buried the bones when she came back here. Who the hell had the nerve to dig them back up?!"

"That would be me." They all looked up to see a magical projection of the man who had led the charge on Magnolia. "I dug them up and turned them into a decoration to honor her. My name is Master Pluto, and I am the leader of Underworld Origin."

"That sounds like a knock off of Master Hades," said Juvia.

"Hades was merely a god of the dead," Master Pluto replied. "Pluto had riches, wealth, and loyalty. I suppose that loyalty is what lead me to decorate Gemaria."

"That is sick, man!" Cana held up three cards. " **Heaven, Reverse Death, Mountain, Summoned Lightning!** " The lightning from the cards went straight through him.

"I'm not really here," he said with a smirk. "Currently I'm heading towards Magnolia. You see, I need the girl you are keeping with you."

"You can't still be after Maddie," said Bisca. "She's just a kid."

"And that's exactly what we need," he replied. "In order for us to get what we need, we need to have her to open the Gate."

"The gate to what," asked Juvia. "What Gate could be so important that you murder a child's family?!"

"WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Gildarts looked between his fellow guild members and Master Pluto. "Seriously, who's Maddie and why was her family killed?!"

"We'll explain on the way back to the guild," shouted Cana as she ran out. "We need to catch the next train back to Magnolia! If the whole organization is on their way there, then they're in some serious trouble!"

"Try if you can," said Master Pluto with a small chuckle. "Let's see if you can make it on time."

* * *

Levy stood up suddenly.

"This is it," she shouted. "This is the spell they're looking for!" Pantherlily peered at the book.

"But that's a Celestial Spirit magic book. Why are you looking there for the spell?"

"Well I finally realized something," she said with a smile, looking up at him. "You were right when you said it wasn't likely to be a dark spell, so I started looking into other kinds of magic, and then I stumbled upon this spell!"

"Well out with it," said Gajeel. "We need to tell the Master."

"It's a spell to create a key," she said as she held up the book, reading.

"You can create Celestial Spirits," asked Pantherlily.

"No, you can't," she replied. "This is a spell that creates a Key to a Celestial Spirit who never had a key.

"Which sprit," asked Gajeel.

"The goddess of all things Celestial, considered the Goddess of the Celestial Spirit World, Serenity. At least, she's called a goddess, but I think she's really just so powerful that Celestial Spirit wizards worshipped her like one. According to this book, she has amazing powers beyond belief. The power of the cosmos it says. I'm not quite sure what that means, but she must be incredibly powerful. She was so powerful in fact, that her key was sealed away by Anhkseram, an old Mildian god. This spell is the only one that can create her key again, and its cost is even more devastating than the cost to summon the Celestial Spirit King himself. The spell is extremely complicated, and requires some very specific things. One misstep and the caster will loose their life, or become cursed by the god Anhkseram, according to these texts. The main requirement is a willing participant, who is alive and unhurt, to bring the key into creation."

"So that's why they need her alive and unhurt," said Pantherlily. "But why Maddie?"

"The person has to be untainted, someone who has yet to commit sin," she said as she read. "At least, they haven't committed a sin and understood that it was bad. The only way you're going to get someone like that is with a child, and they have to have some incredible magic. They also have to be the descendant of a Celestial Spirit wizard, and not second generation or anything. They specifically need one of their parents to be one."

"So then Maddie's mom or dad was a Celestial Spirit wizard," said Gajeel as he rubbed his chin. "What else?"

"Let's see. Oh, there's two requirements for lineage, both relating to who the parents are." Her eyes widened and she dropped the book as soon as she read it. "We have to go back to Magnolia and talk to the Master!" She ran out of the library.

"Ey, wait up," shouted out Gajeel as he and Pantherlily chased after her. "What's got you so spooked?"

"Maddie shouldn't even exist! Her lineage, it's impossible!"

* * *

The peaceful day in Magnolia was interrupted as a black cloud surrounded the city, coming to close and turned into a black circle around the town. In the center of the hollow circle was Master Pluto, floating and holding his staff above his head.

" **I call upon darkness to take over this city** ," he called out as a magic circle sprouted from the top of his staff. " **Let the tendrils of the night lull these people into an endless sleep so long as I command it!** **Darkness Slumber!** " Tendrils of darkness shot out from the circle, reaching towards people all over Magnolia. Most tried to run away, screaming in fear, but as the tendrils wrapped around them and sunk into their skin, their eyes slowly closed and they fell to the ground. "Go to Fairy Tail, and bring the girl to me!" The tendrils of darkness tried, but within less than a foot of the door, a giant, glowing barrier, stopped them. They tried to enter from every point, but it only made the barrier more solid as it went over the entirety of the Fairy Tail guildhall. "Hm so after all this time, her spell is still in place?" He held out his hand. "Members of Underworld Origin, descend upon Magnolia and take out the Fairies! Do not kill them, but make them all suffer until they give us back the Key!" Like a swarm, the hundreds of members of Underworld Origin fell down from the clouds and descended upon the town.

"Let's wreck this place," shouted out a girl with spiked pink hair and red eyes. "I wanna watch this whole place burn!" She pointed her fingers at a fire from an outside grill and pointed them towards a restaurant, setting it on fire. "Burn baby burn! Wreck this whole town! Leave nothing behind!"

* * *

"What is going on," asked Evergreen as she looked towards the doors. "That's an awful lot of noise, even for Magnolia."

"And we're not even the ones creating it," said Freed. "Something's wrong." Laxus went over to open the doors, and his expression turned to disgust and horror as he looked at what was going on.

"Gramps," he shouted, turning towards the master, "it looks like Underworld Origin's come to our front doors, and they're wrecking Magnolia!"

"So they have," said Makarov. "How many are out there?"

"It looks like hundreds," said Laxus. "We need to go out there, we have to protect the town!" People started to crowd around the door, and Carla's eyes widened in horror as she saw the tendrils.

 _"Those dark tendrils,"_  she thought in horror,  _"those look just like the ones in my vision!"_

"Are you alright Carla," asked Wendy. "You look like you've seen a ghost!" Carla shook the vision out of her mind.

"I'm fine child. Let's not focus on me. What we need to focus on is why are they attacking the town? Do they want to kill everyone here?"

"The townspeople are in no danger," boomed Master Pluto's voice throughout the guildhall. "My people are under strict instruction to not cause any damage to the people, just the town. You can always rebuild."

"For what purpose," asked Macao. "Why destroy Magnolia?!"

"Easy enough," Pluto replied. "We want the Key, and we will have her."

"The Key? Wait," asked Lucy, holding Maddie close to her legs, "do they mean Maddie?"

"We ain't handing her over," Natsu shouted, his fist clenched tightly as it lit on fire. "We'd never hand over one of our own! You'd have to kill us first!"

"Show yourself," said Erza as she held out one of her swords.

"I'm using projection magic to make you all hear my voice," he said. "I have no need to show myself. I will only show when you present the Key to me."

"Maybe…. Maybe I should go," said Maddie with tears in her eyes. "He killed my parents, my friends… I don't want anyone else to die for me."

"We're never going to do that Maddie," said Master Makarov. "It's just not the kind of people we are. We will never betray one of our own."

"Then watch as your city burns." Everyone crowded around the door as they watched the members of Underworld Origin wreck the city.

"How come they can't get past the doors," asked Lucy. "What's that barrier around the guildhall?"

"A spell that has lasted nine years," replied Master Makarov. "Two years before you joined, our town was attacked, similarly to this, but by a demon from the Books of Zeref. This demon was sent by a dark guild that one of our teams destroyed. In revenge for it, they decided to destroy us. In doing so, one of our members lost her life that day. With her last, dying breath, she stopped the monster and cast a spell over the guildhall so that all were protected from dark magic."

"She sounds amazing," said Lucy softly.

"She was," said Natsu. "She was an amazing woman, and we won't let anyone die in Magnolia ever again." He clenched both of his fists. "We promised her we would never let blood spill here again."

"We need to keep our promise," said Wakaba. "We gotta fight them off."

"Agreed," said Evergreen, taking off her glasses. "The Thunder Legion is ready to defend Magnolia."

"You've got most of Team Shadow Gear," said Jet. "We'll fight them off even without Levy!"

"We'll make her proud," agreed Droy. "We'll help fight off Underworld Origin!"

"Then what are we standing around for," asked Max. "We gotta get out there and defend our city!"

"Aye sir," called out almost the whole guildhall, throwing up their fists.

"I can't," Maddie mumbled, tearing up, "I can't let you guys do this! People already died protecting me! I can't let anyone else die!" She started sobbing, her face in her hands. "Please, don't do this!"

"Maddie," said Lucy as she got down on one knee, a hand on her shoulder, "Master Makarov's right. We're not the kind of people to just hand over those we care about."

"We have to go out and fight," said Gray. "Everyone needs to go out and take down as many members of Underworld origin as possible!" They all started to run out of the guildhall. Lucy was about to run outside, but Natsu stood in front of the door, Happy next to him.

"Hey, what are you doing? Let me out!"

"No." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Everyone else has already left. Someone has to stay here and protect Maddie."

"The barrier will protect her just fine!"

"Well you still haven't fully recovered from your injuries! And don't lie and say you have!"

"You've fought in even worse condition than me before! Why don't you really want me to fight? You know I can!"

"Dammit Lucy, I'm not loosing you," he shouted at her, gripping her shoulders tightly. "Last time something like this happened, someone I cared about died!" He looked towards the ground, his hands shaking. "Last time they were here they took you and almost killed you. It was only a week ago and there was only one of them! Now there's hundreds of them here! You still haven't fully recovered from your injuries! Please, I just want to know you're safe, and that Maddie's safe. I can't loose anyone else like this Lucy, not again."

"Oh Natsu… alright, I'll stay here to protect Maddie."

"Don't worry," said Loke as he swept Lucy off her feet completely uninvited and without Lucy opening his gate, "I'll stay here with the both of them."

"Put me down!"

"Keep them safe Loke," said Natsu as he looked out the door. "Ready Happy?"

"Aye sir!" He flew up and grabbed Natsu's collar, flying him off towards the fight.

"Stay alive guys," said Lucy as she watched the two fly away.

"They'll be fine," Loke replied. "Natsu and Happy have a way of beating the impossible odds every time. The Fairy Tail guild as a whole too."

"Hey Loke, can you put me down and tell me anything about the woman who cast the spell?" He put her down on a table seat and sat across from her.

"Come over here," he said gently to Maddie. "I promise I won't bite, not even a little." He gaved her a smile. She hesitated but came to sit next to Lucy. "I never knew her well. I was only in the guild for about a year before she died anyway. Her name was Hope Plein Kiyoyama, and she was an S Class wizard. I'm not sure how she'd measure up to Erza now, but my best guess would say she's on par with her in power, or was at least. It might surprise you, but she was actually a Dragon Slayer."

"Seriously?!"

"Yeah. Natsu doesn't talk about her though. We're not supposed to, but if it's in the name of love, then why shouldn't I?" He winked at her.

"Can you stop making passes at me and tell me about her?"

"Well, first of all, technically, she's over 400 years old. Like Natsu, she was raised by a dragon. Her name was Gemaria, and she was known as the Diamond Dragon."

"Wait, so she ate diamonds to replenish her magic power," asked Maddie, leaning forward.

"She did, but not very often," said Loke. "It was too expensive for her, which always made her mad. She insisted that diamonds shouldn't be so expensive because they're so plentiful."

"She's not wrong," said Lucy. "Diamonds are only so expensive because the mines are pretty monopolized. One dealer, one price, set by the dealer."

"Well I guess that answers that," said Loke. "Anyway, she was a strong woman, and so was her husband. He was another guild member, named Isi Kiyoyama. They met in a pretty weird way. See, when Hope was a kid, not much younger than you Lucy, her and her dragon were attacked by Dragon Slayers. They tried to fight them off, but they were beaten pretty badly. In a last ditch effort to save her adoptive daughter, Gemaria turned Hope into a solid diamond statue. In doing that, it's thought that the effort killed Gemaria. No one's sure since the only person alive during then was Hope and she couldn't see anything after she was turned into diamonds."

"I feel bad for her," said Lucy.

"Don't," Loke replied. "After she was turned into a statue, she was sold to a rich man who exhibited her like a piece of art."

"And why am I not supposed to feel bad for her?"

"Because of later on. After 400 years of being sold from collector to collector, everyone forgot that she was human in the first place. Eventually though, the spell broke. Even dragon's magic has to run out at some point, and the spell was made with her dying breaths. Take that into consideration. It was made with her dying breaths and yet it still lasted over 400 years."

"Dragon magic sure is powerful," said Lucy. "It's a little scary too when you say it like that."

"It is. After the spell wore off, well, Hope had no idea that any time had passed. The last thing she remembered was being attacked by other Dragon Slayers. She didn't even notice that she was in a different place and started attacking people. This was the first time Dragon Slayer magic had been seen in a while. Not even the Rune Knights understood how to deal with her since there was little to nothing on Dragon Slayer magic and honestly thought she was some sort of demon, so they sent a request to the strongest guild in Fiore, the only one that had any chance of what looked like some sort of demonic monster."

"Fairy Tail," said Maddie proudly, the story helping her forget the chaos outside.

"That's right," he said with a smile, "Fairy Tail. There were a lot of powerful wizards in Fairy Tail back then. Not that there aren't now, but there were a lot more S Class wizards before they all started to retire. However, none of those old farts took the job. The only one who dared to take it was a young member of the guild, someone who was new to being S Class. His name was Isi Kiyoyama, and his family was from Nihon. He decided to take the job, even though the master warned him that it'd be dangerous. When he reached where she was, they fought hard, and were almost evenly matched. In the end, he managed to win, but instead of killing her like the job described since they honestly had no idea that Hope was human, he just knocked her out and brought her back to the guild."

"Why didn't he kill her," asked Lucy. "If she didn't even look human anymore then why did he spare her life?"

"I'll never forget those words," said Loke as he pushed up his glasses, smiling. "When I asked him that myself, he said, "I could never hurt someone who looked so grief stricken and in pain. I could never hurt someone who was crying. I could tell from her eyes that she was a scared girl who had lost everything and didn't know how else to react. And everything in me wanted to save her." It was a pretty powerful speech."

"How romantic," said Lucy with a smile, her hands clasped together.

"They were a good couple," Loke agreed. "And it didn't die even after they had kids. They had their twins Tomi and Taro, and then a baby girl named Ayame. After Hope passed away though, Isi took them all and moved them away from Magnolia. We used to get letters from them, but eventually they stopped coming. Actually, it wasn't that long before you got here that they stopped."

"I just have one more question," said Lucy as she leaned forward. "Why didn't I ever hear about her? I was there when Natsu beat Gajeel and he told Gajeel that he was the only other Dragon Slayer he'd ever met at the time. Why would he lie?"

"Well back when Natsu knew her she was a pretty famous wizard." He folded his arms over his chest as he closed his eyes. "When Tomi and Taro were still little kids, she and Isi went out on jobs all the time. But once they started getting older, Isi and Hope started taking turns on jobs so that one of them could stay behind to take care of the kids, meaning they took less jobs so that meant less attention. Not to mention Hope didn't like the spotlight so she never appeared in Sorcerer Weekly. Well, she didn't like the kind they gave her. She was always featured negatively in it because of the way she attacked people when she was free of that spell. So she just stopped letting them interview her. But still, she was pretty well known up until a few years before her death. But then after she died, people seemed to forget her, which is easy for people when you don't know the person. People would ask Natsu if he was Fairy Tail's first Dragon Slayer. He'd remind them of Hope and nine times out of ten, their response would be "Hope who?". He would get so angry and people would get hurt. You know how he is." Both Lucy and Maddie nodded. "Eventually Master Makarov felt like he had no choice. He forbade anyone from ever talking about her, including Natsu. I wanna say that happened about a year before you joined. Ever since everyone's been ignoring her, mostly for the sake of the guild since we can't handle our property destruction reputation getting any worse. It's sad really."

"That _is_  sad."

* * *

Erza stood in front of the sweets shop she frequented, a relieved smile on her face.

"At least the sweets shop is safe." The moment she finished her sentence, someone crashed down on it, laughing like a maniac.

"Good for nothing carbs and calories," said the person who crashed down on it. Erza's eyes filled with fire as she requipped into her Blackwing Armor.

"Who are you," she demanded to know as the figure came out of the rubble. It was a short, petite woman with long black hair and narrow, ruby red eyes.

"I'm Vena." She held up her hand and curled her fingers around a dark orb. "You're Titania, the Fairy Queen, right? Then that means you're the only person who can use The Knight in this era. I'm gonna enjoy destroying you!"

"It'll take more than you have to destroy me!" Erza pushed her left leg back, pulling up her right and laughing towards her. "You'll pay for destroying my second favorite place in all of Magnolia!"

* * *

Gray stopped as he watched one of the members, a man with snow-white hair and yellow eyes, stand on top of a pile of people.

"What the hell?! Hey buddy, I don't know what you're doing, but you'd better get off those people!" He threw his hands back, ready to throw out his magic.

"Gray Fullbuster," replied the man in an almost calculated tone. "Ice Make Wizard. Intelligent, able to hold up against brute strength, but lacking in ability to properly expression his emotions. Weaknesses include heat based magics and Juvia Lockser."

"Shut up," said Gray as he glared at the guy. "Who the hell even are you?!"

"I am Josiah," he replied as he jumped down from the pile of people he was standing on. "As you have guess, I am a member of the Underworld Origin Organization. If you'd just peacefully hand over the Key, then we'll be on our way."

"Like hell we'd ever hand over a kid to creeps like you!  **Ice Make Lance!** " The ice shot towards Josiah, but he simply reappeared behind Gray.

"If that's how you want it, then I suppose I have no choice but to fight you." He held up his hands, and the pile of bodies started to move, and they started to stand upright, their eyes open and glowing yellow. "You'll have to give in eventually and bring her to me."

* * *

Carla, Wendy, and Romeo were all together by the park.

"Did you see where my dad went," asked Romeo. "He's gonna freak if he can't find me."

"That doesn't matter right now," said Carla with a shake of her head. "What matters is that we get rid of these hooligans before they cause any permanent damage to the town!"

"Carla's right," said Wendy. "We don't want them to stay long, so we need to stop them!"

"You aren't gonna stop us any time soon you little shorties," said someone behind them. When they turned to look, they saw the same woman who had come crashing down and set a restaurant on fire. "It's time for you guys to face me!"

"And who are you," asked Romeo, his hands covered in purple flare.

"There's no need for names," said the woman, "but if you must know, my name is Breeze, and I'm gonna wreck you into the next millennia!"

"We won't let you," Wendy declared as she took in a deep breath. " **Sky Dragon Roar!** " Wendy's attack went straight towards her target, but with a smirk and a wave of her hand, it went around her, taking a 180 and heading towards Wendy. Carla jumped into action, grabbing Wendy by the back of her dress and lifting her up into the air. "Thanks for the save Carla."

"So, a fire and wind wizard, huh? You'll never be able to beat me and my Flow Magic!"

* * *

The Strauss siblings were in front of the Kardia Cathedral, all on guard and ready.

"I thought I saw creeps over here," said Lisanna. "At least one of them."

"If they're any kind of men at all then they'll show themselves," Elfman declared.

"I'm pretty sure an entire organization can't just be men," said Mira with a small smile.

"Well well well," said Mors from the top of the cathedral, "if it isn't the Takeover Strauss Siblings. I've heard legends of all of you and your proficiency in the three kinds of Takeovers, Animal, Beast, and Satan."

"Who are you," asked Mira, standing in front of her siblings. "What do you want with Maddie?!"

"That's not her true name you know. Not that it matters. All that matters is that we dispel the magic that guards your guildhall. Then we can take her by force." He held up his hands, drawing energy from the living beings around. "Pitiful that I'm banned from killing right now. It really dampers what I can do."

"Stand back," said Mira as magic power flowed around her. "I can feel your strength, even if you're being held back."

"Mira, you're not," asked Elfman in horror as he picked up Lisanna.

"Not again," said Lisanna as she watched her sister take on her most powerful Satan Soul, Halphas.

"I've never seen this before," said Mors. "I don't recognize this Satan Soul."

"Then let this be the last one you ever see!" She held up her hands. " **Cosmic Beam!** "

"We're trying to save the town," protested Elfman as she launched her attack, "not destroy it!  _Mira!_ "

* * *

Laxus and the rest of the Thunder Legion stood still as they watched someone speed around them, seeming to jump from point to point.

"This is ridiculous," said Evergreen as she looked at him with her glasses off. "Stop running around like an idiot! This is a battle you know, not a game!"

"Everything's a game if you let it be," said the man as he came to a stop, showing to be Anubis. "And that trick won't work on me."

"Damn!" She put her glasses back on. "Just who are you?!"

"My name is Anubis, and I'm the last person you're ever going to see aside from each other!" He laughed and held his hand out and forward, about at waist level. "You're gonna regret ever running into me!"

"More like regret letting you keep running your mouth," said Laxus. "Let's just get this over with. You're gonna-" Before he could say anything else, his face filled with pain as he gripped the left side of his chest, falling to one knee. "What the hell?! This pain, it's worse than anything I've ever felt!"

"That's my magic," said Anubis, the smirk audible in his voice. "Introducing the final player in the Reaper Trio, Anubis the Reaper Judge! You're feeling those sins of your past pretty heavily right now, aren't you? That's my magic, Reaper's Judgment. If you can't defeat me, then you'll be destroyed by your own guilt! Great, isn't it?!"

"Let go of whatever hold you have on Laxus," demanded Freed as he pulled out his rapier. " **Dark Ecriture!** "

"Come on babies," Bixlow called out, " **Baryon Formation!** "

* * *

Natsu flew over Magnolia with Happy, his eyes focused.

"Natsu, there's lots of opponents down there," said Happy as he looked down and saw their guild mates fighting. "We need to join them! Wendy, Carla, and Romeo look like they could really use our help."

"They can handle themselves," he replied. "We're going after one person in specific. I can remember their smell like I just caught a whiff. Dive down Happy!"

"Aye sir!" As they kept diving down, Natsu's eyes widened in rage as he saw one very specific member of the Reaper Trio, one wearing a recently repaired skull mask.

"Thanatos, you're gonna  _pay_  for what you did to Lucy!" Natsu's fist lit up as he punched the man directly in the face, sending him several feet backwards.

"That stung a little," said Thanatos as he rubbed his jaw, looking up at Natsu and standing. "I'm glad I ran into you. Although it looks like you sought me now. Now I can defeat you and get back in the good graces of our master." He held out a red orb, his own fist lighting up with fire. "Let's say we even the playing field a little."

* * *

Floating above the city was Master Pluto, looking down at the chaos.

"All this destruction, it makes me sad," he said quietly to himself.

"Then why do you have your children attack us so," asked Master Makarov from the ground. He slowly grew in size, until he was at the same height as how far above the ground Master Pluto was. "Now what do you want with such a young child like Maddie?"

"Ah, Master Makarov," said Master Pluto with a small smile, "it's been a very long time."

"I don't know you. Don't pretend to know me!" He clapped his hands together, but as he pulled them apart from each other, he saw that Master Pluto was just fine.

"It's been a long time since we last saw each other," said Pluto as he held up a piece of paper. "I wish I could say it's good to see you, but you're in my way. Hand over the Key and I won't hurt anyone else here. My organization and I will immediately pull out."

"Like hell I'm gonna do that! Now tell me who you are!"

"Let's meet on the ground. I'd rather fight you at full strength and not watch you waste your magic making yourself so large." Master Pluto landed on the ground, Master Makarov following suit. "Now then, let's be civil here. I don't intend to harm the girl, not one bit. I'm a father myself, I would never harm a child."

"And yet you send your children into battle," Master Makarov said angrily. "The sins of you as a parent will become their burden!"

"I am not their father," he replied. "I have biological children that I love. And whether or not you want to believe this, I'm doing this for them. Everything up until now has been for them."

"You slaughtered Maddie's parents! Her loved ones! How is that setting a good example for your children?!"

"I have my reasons. None of it will matter though. Once I achieve my goals, I will set right all my wrongs. It's all for my noble cause, to rip open the gates of the Underworld."

* * *

Gajeel and Pantherlily sat across from Levy as she nervous drummed her fingers on her knees, the book from the library sitting next to her.

"You gonna say something," asked Gajeel. We took the first damn train out and all the information you've given us so far is "her lineage is impossible" and nothing else. You gonna clarify at any point?"

"Please Levy," said Pantherlily in an attempt to have more tact, "if there's something wrong, we should know."

"It's just," she looked towards the book, "there are very specific requirements for the spell. The location it must be conducted at, the time it's allowed to be performed, even the phase of the moon. That same specificness is applied to who they need alive and unhurt in order to open the gate and create the key."

"Does this have something to do with the person needing a parent to be a Celestial Spirit wizard," asked Pantherlily.

"Yeah," she replied with a nod, "but more than that. It can't just be either parent. It has to be the mother. But even more," she looked towards the both of them, "the father has to be a Dragon Slayer. Not only that but his magic can't be dark. It must be something that gives off light. And lastly, they must be able to innately use it. The power can't come from a lacrima laced with the magic. The father has to actually be able to use the magic."

"Wait, you're telling me the brat's a Dragon Slayer," asked Gajeel. "She's a tot!"

"No," Levy said with a finger up, "she isn't a Dragon Slayer! She'd have to be a Dragon Slayer and a Celestial Spirit wizard, which are two completely different types of magic! Dragon Slayer is innate magic, as in you use your own bodies to create it. Celestial Spirit magic is a holder type magic, as in it requires the use of something else in order to work!"

"That sounds like a powerful combination," said Pantherlily. "That must mean that Maddie has some powerful magic."

"Yes, but that's the thing! You, Natsu, Wendy, Sting, and Rogue are the only Dragon Slayers on all of Ishgar. No one else other than you five has natural Dragon Slayer magic! Anyone else uses Dragon Slayer lacrima! And not only that, but out of all of the Dragon Slayers, Wendy can't be her mother because the Dragon Slayer has to be the father, your power doesn't give off light, and Rogue's is the opposite of light! That only leaves Natsu and Sting, and-"

"Neither of them have any children," said Pantherlily as he crossed his arms over his chest. "They're far too young to have a child that old."

"Exactly!

"Wait," said Gajeel, a hand on his knee to support him as he leaned forward, Maddie's image in his head, "so you're telling me-"

"Maddie shouldn't even exist! It's just impossible!"


	10. The Battle of Magnolia

Erza swung her sword at Vena, but Vena threw up a hand and a line of rubble intercepted Erza's sword.

"You won't beat me," said Vena with a smirk. "I have the best magic out there, Gravity Magic!"

"I've met people like you before," Erza said as her mind flashed to Risley and Kagura. "You'll be a challenging opponent for sure, but I refuse to loose to you, or anyone!" She kicked the rubble out of the way. "Tell me why you're here! Tell me what your goal is!"

"Well I wanna save people from all these calories, carbs, and cholesterol." She held up a hand as a smashed up piece of cake floated towards her. "I mean come on, these things will really wreck your systems. How can you expect to be able to fight when you've got all that fat in the way?"

"Never underestimate the power of chubby. I have met people who can do incredible things, and some of them haven't been thin. Your ability to fight matching your waist is just a myth!" She held her sword upright. "Besides, strawberry cake is my favorite desert, and I  **refuse**  to hear you slander it any further!  **Heaven's Wheel!** " Erza used her new armor and her multitude of swords to attack Vena. "What is your purpose with Maddie?!"

"That's not even her name," said Vena as she jumped up and did a back flip away from the swords, watching the swords clash into each other. "Maddie is just a stupid fake name. Bet that council stooge gave it to her thinking it'd protect her." She giggled. "Well he was dead wrong! And also dead!"

"The Magic Council is in on this?!" Erza requipped into her Armadura Fairy armor. "If they're protecting Maddie, then why didn't they notify us?!"

"Oh, the magic council isn't in on it." Vena threw several knives from the destroyed cake shop at Erza, but she requipped with her Adamantine Shield, blocking all the knives. "You see, this guy was kinda rogue. Now that I think about it, he was former council. Kept the uniform though."

"Was it Yajima? Leiji? Belvano? Or some of the former Rune Knights?! Tell me or I will end you here and now!" Erza's shield disappeared and she managed to pin Vena to a wall, her swords crossed and placed over Vena's throat.

"None of those bozos. Can you really bring yourself to kill me? I bet you've never killed a person in your whole life."

"Your organization murdered the family of a six year old girl," said Erza, a darkness in her eyes that showed not only was she serious, but perfectly willing. "You dare to take my innocence into this? There is no doubt in my mind that the world will be better without people like you in it." That made Vena start to sweat a bit.

"I-If you kill me, then you'll never figure out what our guild wants with the brat!"

"An unfortunate loss," Erza replied as her swords inched closer, "but a loss I'm willing to take. Besides, I'm sure I can find members of your organization who are far more cooperative than you." Vena slowly moved her hand, making several rocks come up behind Erza and hit her hard on the back. Erza cried out in pain, dropping her swords and allowing Vena to escape.

"Well, I guess I'm sticking around!" She laughed as she threw her hand down, increasing the gravity underneath Erza. "You left yourself wide open! Maybe try paying attention to what's going on around you!" Erza put down one of her swords, putting both hands on a single sword and using that to pull herself up.

"I will admit, I didn't realize I left you enough space for you to use any magic," she admitted, "but now I know a fatal flaw in your magic. You have to be able to move around in order for it to work."

"Well duh," she replied, holding up her index finger and twirling around a rock in mid air, "that's how most magic works. It's incredibly hard for someone to mentally command magic. You have to give it some sort of direction."

"Your exaggerated movements show just how dependant you are on your body," Erza replied as she finally stood up even though the gravity was bearing down on her. "When you use your magic, you move your body quite a bit. You still had to move your hands to make it move in a single direction." She requipped into a new armor. It was a black breastplate with a jewel neckline, a silver waist guard that went to her mid-thigh, and a skirt of matching length that was cut up into strips. "You barely know how to use your magic, don't you? You're powerful, but you have no idea what you're doing. Have you only recently joined Underworld Origin? Do you even know what their goals are?"

"Shut up," said Vena, her eyes dark as she started chucking rocks at her. "Just shut up!" Erza jumped out of the way, unaffected by the gravity anymore. "What?! How can you escape my magic?!"

"This is my Gravity Armor," she replied. "I got it after facing possibly one of the strongest opponents I've ever fought. She never even used her magic against me, which makes it all the more terrifying and necessary for me to have this. It allows me to increase my strength to what it would normally be depending on the gravity around me. Which means that now we can fight on completely equal terms!" She launched herself at Vena, who started to sweat.

"What kind of BS is this?!"

* * *

Laxus was still on the ground, clutching his chest and curling up in pain. Bixlow's babies were forming into a pentagon, green energy exploding from it and going directly towards Anubis.

"Oh, Seith Magic." He jumped up above the attack, landing right where the attack hit. "That's some powerful magic there. The ability of souls you can control is directly related to how powerful your magic is. If you have five souls, well then you must be strong!"

"Haven't had an enemy praise me like that before." He smirked. "But that just means you know you're beat."

"Nope, not really!" Anubis held out his hands and Bixlow started to clutch his chest, feeling that same pain and falling to the ground.

"Just what do you think you're doing," asked Freed as he held out his rapier. "Whatever hold you have on my friends, let go of them!  **Dark Ecriture: Pain!** " With a flick of his rapier, the word was written on Anubis's chest, sinking in.

"Ha, that almost tickles," he replied. "I guess you don't know, but I have a high pain tolerance. In order to use the type of reaper Magic I use, you have to be able to withstand incredible amounts of pain! Your magic is completely useless in this fight. What kind of wizard are you?"

"Take that back," Evergreen demanded. " **Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!** " She threw out her arms and sent the attack towards him.

"Oh, that could actually cause some damage! I may not be able to feel it that much, but it doesn't mean it won't knock me down!" He laughed and jumped up and out of the way. "Two of you are down, and one of you is completely useless. Correction." He held out his hand and Freed too fell to the ground. "Three down. That just leaves you and me. And you are?"

"I'm Evergreen," she replied as she held up her hand, "and I will destroy you for hurting my friends!  **Fairy Bomb: Gremlin!** " The explosions covered him and he was knocked back and forth by the repetitive blasts.

"Ouch, now that actually hurt!" He held out his hand, a pure white feather appearing on it. "Guess I gotta kill you too!"

"What do you mean kill?!"

"It's called Reaper Magic for a reason you idiot! See, mine's not like Mors's or Thanatos's. Mors can take the power of the things he kills, but they can still move on. Thanatos kills them and keeps their souls, using their souls and their own magic as his power. But me, my magic is purely for killing. I take your own sins and use them against you. You're literally consumed by your guilt! And all of you have plenty of things to be guilty about. Attacking your own guild? Nearly killing several of your members? What kind of messed up people are you?"

"That was almost a lifetime ago!" She ran towards him, holding up her arms. " **Fairy Whip: Dryad!** " A golden, almost vine like whip appeared and she flicked it at him, catching his shoulder. "I have many more powerful spells under my belt if you don't let them go!"

"Why should I," he asked. "Right now, your friends are watching their memories of them trying to destroy those they loved! Don't you wanna watch the show? I can show you what they're seeing if you want!" He held his hands together high above his head, then threw them apart, projecting what looked like three rectangles, each one with one of her friends.

* * *

Laxus watched, almost outside his body, as his past self watched the Thunder Legion decimate the Fairy Tail guild.

"You idiot," he said to his former self, "you're just hurting your friends! You care about these people! You're not helping Fairy Tail, you're destroying it! Stop, please!" His younger self didn't listen, and instead laughed as he watched his friends be put in pain from each other, watched as they all destroyed each other.

* * *

Freed watched himself as he made Elfman suffer through his Dark Ecritures, inflicting more and more pain on him, more and more suffering and despair.

"I… I never meant to be so horrible to the guild," he struggled out. "I always thought I was helping Laxus. I never knew I could be close to anyone but Laxus. I don't deserve their forgiveness. I don't deserve their friendship." He gripped his head, looking down. "Why, why do they even trust me? How can they trust me after all of this?"

* * *

Bixlow saw himself laughing sadistically as he took down member after member with his babies.

"Gray, Nab, Laki," he said softly to himself. "Am I gonna just keep watching this on loop?" He knew that he had the same eccentric personality as he did back then, but he felt disgusted with himself as he so easily harmed his guildmates, laughing and having fun. "Have I really changed at all?"

* * *

"I don't need to see!" Evergreen flicked the whip again, destroying all three of the images. "I already know how much we all regret what we did! We're all trying to work past the sins of our past! Every day is a struggle for us, remembering that we almost destroyed the people we now care about so much!" She couldn't help but remember when she had defeated Elfman during the Fighting Festival, leaving him in so much pain. "We all did terrible things, and none of us wants to see them anymore!"

"That's why I want you to watch," he said as he blew the feather at her. "This feather makes it extra painful. You not only relive the memories, but it makes you feel everything that's going on. You will be reliving it in the most real sense possible! They're just watching what they've done, but with this Feather of Truth, you'll actually be living it. You'll be doing it and you won't be able to stop yourself!" Evergreen tried to move away from the feather, but it kept following her. "The guilt will overcome your heart, and eventually make it stop!"

* * *

Carla had to pull Wendy out of the way as one of Romeo's attacks went around Breeze and directly towards her.

"You'll never beat me," said Breeze with a laugh. "My Flow Magic allows me to completely redirect the attacks of my opponent! It's harder with solid types of magic, but wind and fire are the easiest to redirect! You two are like putty in my hands!"

"She's right," Romeo admitted, his fists balled up tightly. "She keeps redirecting our magic and making it attack us! I've never seen something like this before!"

"Neither have I," said Wendy. "I don't have any idea on how to counter it!"

"When strength doesn't work, you must use your wit," Carla reminded her. "Think about her magic. Flow Magic only has one purpose, redirection."

"You got that right," said Breeze with a smirk, "but how are you gonna stop my magic?"

"I don't know," said Wendy honestly, "but we won't stop! Maddie's just a little girl! Of course we're gonna protect her!"

 _"Just like the Edolas Jellal protected me,"_  she thought to herself.

"Good luck," Breeze joked. "Fire and wind magic are the ones I manipulate the best! I can't see any rational way of you twerps defeating me."

"We'll find a way," said Romeo as he through a flame covered punch towards her, but she had to dodge it. "We'll do whatever it takes to stop you guys!"

"You'll never defeat us! We're unbeatable!" She jumped up and landed on Romeo's back with one foot, causing him to cry out in pain. "We'll never stop until we rip open the gates of the Underworld!"

 _"The gates of the Underworld,"_  Carla thought.  _"Could that be the gate I saw in my vision?"_

"Romeo," Wendy called out as she went over to him. "Are you alright?"

"I can't move," he groaned out. "I-I'm starting to loose feeling in my legs!"

"Don't worry, I'll heal you!" She held her hands out to him, healing his back. "You'll be good in no time."

"I don't think I can keep fighting," he said. "Wendy… you gotta… take her… down." With that final word, Romeo passed out.

"Wow, how pathetic!" Breeze laughed as she watched the two. "One good attack and suddenly you're down for the count? That's pathetic!"

"You're the one who hurt him," Wendy argued as she stood up. "You hurt him over and over again by redirecting my magic! That wasn't even the first hit! Carla, take him back to the guildhall so he can rest."

"No," Carla responded, a little surprised by the request. "I'm not leaving you to fight her on your own!"

"Don't argue with me Carla! Romeo's seriously hurt! He needs someone to take care of him and he won't get that in the middle of the battle field! His back may be fixed but he still needs rest! Go and stay with him! If someone manages to attack him while he's hurt like that, he might not recover!" Carla hesitated for a few moments before grabbing Romeo's collar and carrying him off.

"Please, be careful Wendy!" Wendy gave her a single nod before the Exceed and Romeo disappeared from sight.

"How noble of you," Breeze said sarcastically. "You're laying down on the ground like a tasty little meal for me."

"I'm doing no such thing," Wendy argued as her magic power flowed out of her. " **Vernier! Arms!** " She started to float in the air. "I'm gonna take you down, and help the rest of my guild drive you out of town! I won't quit until that happens! I'll never stop, cause I'm a member of Fairy Tail, and when things get tough, we just get tougher!  **Sky Dragon ROAR!** "

* * *

Mirajane Strauss, in her Satan Soul Halphas, floated in front of Mors, who was holding a black orb of pure magic power, taken from Mirajane's attack.

"This Satan Soul truly is unique," he said. "Your attacks are alive and have magic of their own."

"Only my Cosmic Beam," she replied. "I won't make the mistake of using it again!"

"Mira, you need to use a different Satan Soul," begged Elfman.

"Please Big Sis, you're gonna destroy the whole town!" Lisanna's begging only made Mira smirk.

"Then why don't we take this out of town," she asked as they all disappeared, now in the middle of the woods. "There, the town won't be in any danger, and if we destroy any trees, then we can always plant new ones. New life after such a trial. It's poetic, don't you think?"

"It really is," Mors replied. "And you've given me the perfect source for my magic!" He held up both hands, green and black magic being sucked from all of the nearby plants. "I'll suck the life out of the very earth itself!"

"Reaper magic is scary powerful," Lisanna noted. "No wonder Big Sis Mira had to take her most powerful form."

"We should get out of here," said Elfman as he started to back up. "If that guy's not holding back, and neither is Mira, then this place is gonna get dangerous real fast."

"Okay," said Lisanna. "Big Sis, we're gonna go back to Magnolia and help out the others!"

"I'd recommend that," she replied, her expression getting darker. "This is about to get real ugly." Elfman and Lisanna quickly left the battle. "What's your purpose here. You seem like a smart man. I can't imagine that you're here for fun. After all, what sane person goes to war with Fairy Tail for fun?"

"We do have a goal," he admitted. "Perhaps I can share it with you. You seem like an intelligent woman. I can even tell you exactly what we need the little girl for."

"Please explain." He gave a nod, his head down a bit.

"All of us in Underworld origin have come together under one banner. We all have a shared pain that try as we might, none of us have ever been able to work through it." He looked back up at her. "I'm sure you'd understand Mirajane Strauss."

"Why would I understand," she asked, letting herself land on the ground, Mors following after her.

"Because you lost a loved one," he replied. "All of us in Underworld Origin have lost someone we held dear. For a few we have lost whole families. You lost your little sister Lisanna, didn't you? Of course, unlike the rest of us, you were lucky to get her back."

"I was," she said with a small smile. "I was very lucky. But you said everyone in your organization lost someone. Who did you loose?"

"I lost my daughter," he replied. "She was murdered by a dark guild. They were trying some messed up resurrection ceremony to bring back Zeref. She and her mother were alone in our forest cottage when it happened. Her mother was hurt horribly, but left unable to walk and her face was disfigured."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mira said honestly with sadness in her voice. "No one ever deserves to loose a child."

"When I appealed to the Magic Council to allow me to put in a job request to the magical guilds to allow me to hire wizards to destroy the dark guild responsible, I was met with resistance. Siren's Wing was too powerful, having taken up a void left by the Baram Alliance's destruction. Then when I appealed to the guild wizards, they all turned me down because of their guild charters. It was that loss that drove me to join Underworld Origin, and organization unbound by the laws of the Magic Council."

"I don't remember something like this ever happening. Why didn't you ever come to Fairy Tail and ask for help?"

"I never bothered because if lower guilds wouldn't help me, surely not a high and almighty guild like Fairy Tail would stoop so low as to help me," he replied.

"You don't know anything about Fairy Tail," she replied. "We help anyone who's in need."

"My master told me that Fairy Tail is the worst of them all."

"Your master?"

* * *

Natsu glared at Thanatos, who held up his flaming hand.

"Are we just gonna stand here, or are we gonna fight you masked freak?!"

"Oh, we'll fight alright," he promised, "and this time, I'm gonna end you!" He leaped towards Natsu, aiming to punch him in the face, but instead Happy pulled Natsu up into the air. "Ara Magic, huh?" He pulled out a lacrima with a happy blue color, wings like angel wings sprouting from his back. "I guess I gotta fly then!"

"No way! Natsu he's stealing my bit!"

"Well then we'll just have to show him who's the superior fliers!" Happy launched Natsu forward, letting Natsu punch Thanatos directly in the face, sending him flying away, but still within eyesight. "I'm gonna knock you right back down into the earth so hard you'll be buried six feet under!"

"You're letting this whole thing get a little personal," teased Thanatos. "Then again, I did almost kill that Lucy girl. Can't imagine why you're still this angry after the thorough beating you gave me last time while in Dragon Force."

"Because you haven't even begun to pay for everything you've done to her!" Happy flew towards him, letting Natsu deliver a powerful kick that Thanatos sadly was able to dodge. "You put her through  _hell_ , so I'm gonna do the same thing to you!"

"Oh, I see." He chuckled, folding his arms. "You're in love with her, aren't you?" Natsu's flustered silence was all Thanatos needed. "So this is the passion of love."

"Shut up!" He tried to punch Thanatos, but he was able to quickly dodge. "Don't talk as if you know anything about what I'm feeling!"

"On the contrary," he replied, "I understand completely. I once loved someone. And then he died. Murdered in fact."

"And you're gonna murder the people others love just cause of that?! You make me sick!" He took in a deep breath. " **Fire Dragon ROAR!** " Thanatos chuckled and held out a hand, using wind magic to redirect the attack.

"That's not what I said," he replied. "But, you could say that it feels nice to have the power to punish the world who punished me for simply existing, for daring to love!" He threw out his hand and sent what looked like a spiral of air at Natsu, hitting him hard on the chest and knocking him back. "And all those who don't suffer the way I did will be punished as well!"

"That's sick man," Natsu said after catching his breath. "You can't have what you want so you punish the world?!"

"I guess that's a better way of putting it, yes!"

* * *

Doranbolt was walking up and down the corridors of Era, looking out the window.

"Doranbolt," came Lahar's voice from behind him, "I need to talk to you." Doranbolt turned around to face his coworker, who was holding a file.

"What's up," he asked, "and what's the file for?"

"We've been compiling information on a new player in the Fairy Tail guild," he replied. "Her submission into the guild was sent two weeks ago."

"What's her name," asked Doranbolt as Lahar handed him the file.

"It's Maddie Harneel according to the papers," he replied as Doranbolt opened the file and looked at the member sheet and a picture of her. "The thing is that we have no previous records of her, or anyone named Harneel. And that's not just in Fiore. The Magic Council has access to records from all across the Ishgar continent, and there's just not one report of a family with the last name of Harneel that she could possibly be related to."

"So she's using a fake name," he asked. "But she looks so young." He picked up the picture. "She can't be more than six or seven years old."

"We're looking into that. But that's not the problem." He handed Doranbolt another file. "This is an incident report from Oak Town. They sent out a request to Fairy Tail to deal with their problem. They've been evacuated from the town by five members, Cana Alberona, Juvia Lockser, Bisca Connell, Alzack Connell and Gildarts Clive. We have no idea why they evacuated an entire town, all we know is that it's by the Diamond Scale Mountains."

"I've heard of those," he said, his hand on his chin, but I can't remember why."

"They're the home of a Fairy Tail member who passed away," Lahar replied. "I don't have a file on her since she's dead, but from what I remember her name was Hope Kiyoyama. She was raised by a dragon in those mountains according to her, and was turned into a statue over 400 years ago by her own dragon as a means of defense. What we do know as fact is that she was a Fairy Tail member, and married to Isi Kiyoyama. They had three children together, two sons and a daughter."

"Okay," he said slowly. "I'm gonna skip over asking how the hell any of that managed to happen and skip straight to the important thing. Why is that important to know in the first place?"

"Because all of this seems to keep tying in with Fairy Tail. When the mayor of Oak Town asked why they had to leave, they were told that a dark guild had taken up residence nearby, but we have absolutely no reports of a dark guild being there, or anyone even being there at all. No one has lived in those mountains for centuries. Not only that, but immediately after evacuation, instead of heading back to the mountains to take care of the guild, they ran off straight towards Magnolia. Why would they lie about it? Why say there's a dark guild there, and even if it were true, why wouldn't they deal with it immediately? More importantly, why would they lie about the name of a member? And why do they even have a member who's so young?"

"You think Fairy Tail is up to something, don't you?"

"I have no choice but to think so," Lahar said. "We're being sent to investigate. If you think that Fairy Tail is innocent, then help me prove it. Otherwise, we need to stop them before whatever they're planning hurts people."

"I honestly can't imagine Fairy Tail intentionally hurting anyone." Doranbolt put the picture back and closed the file. "They may hurt people, sure, but it's almost entirely in self defense. I was in the guild for a while on behalf of the council. I know the members well enough that if they  _are_  hiding something, it's got to be for a reason."

"Well then let's find that reason out."

* * *

"What kind of freaky magic are you using," asked Gray as he watched the townspeople stand and walk towards him. "This is like Sherry's magic, but it didn't work on people!"

"My magic," replied Josiah as he held up a hand. "I use Puppeteer Magic. It's similar to Marionette Magic, but I can't use it on anything inanimate. Therefore, all animals, people, insects, all living things that can move are mine to control. I can command almost limitless amount of non magic users, but unfortunately, the magic of wizards tends to fight back, so I can usually only control one or two at a time. Like Reaper Magic, it's also forbidden, but I have lost the ability to care about the council's rules. I haven't cared in a very long time. Are you willing to hurt the people of Magnolia to defeat me?"

"Dammit!" He stepped back as the people came closer. "I can't do anything without risking hurting the people here!"

"Another weakness shared by all in the Fairy Tail guild. You're unable to hurt another living thing unless it actually intentionally poses a threat." He threw out his arm. "Attack my minions!" They started launching themselves at Gray. He couldn't bring himself to hurt them, so instead he kept dodging them.

"You coward! Fight me like a real man!" He paled when he realized what he said. "Crap, I just sounded like Elfman!" He managed to jump over them, holding his hands back now that he was far away enough. " **Ice Make Prison!** " Everyone was placed in an ice cage, and even though they feebly tried to get out, they were kept in place.

"Hm, interesting," said Josiah. "Unfortunately, my magic is incapable of breaking them free. None of them are strong enough to either." He held out his hand towards Gray. "I suppose I'll have to take you instead." Gray was about to respond, but his body froze up. "Now go get me the girl."

"No," he struggled out, trying to stop from taking a step forward and managing to stay still. "I won't hurt a little girl!"

"How many times do we have to reiterate that she won't get hurt," he asked. "Once we have her, we'll leave Fairy Tail alone, at least for the next 14 years."

"14," Gray repeated. "Why that number?"

"You'll find out. Now bring me the girl."

* * *

"Why would you want to rip open the gates of the Underworld," asked Master Makarov. "What's the point in it?"

"Everyone has someone they've loved and lost," he replied. "I have lost both a wife and a child. To rip open the gates of the Underworld, to reach in and take what lies there and bring it back to the world of the living, that is my goal."

"The dead must lie where they are. Believe me I understand. My wife passed away not long after giving birth to my son, and my mother passed similarly. My daughter in law also was taken from us too soon, and my son was never the same after that. But to bring them back, you may as well be asking them to walk into a fire. Life is wonderful, but the dead are in their everlasting peace. Who are we to disturb it? What kind of people would we be if we forced them to return to the pain and suffering that life brings?"

"My children had to grow up without their mother," he replied, clenching his staff in anger. "I had to do everything on my own to raise them and teach them! And then one of them still died! Do you want to know how old she was when she died Makarov? She was only 14 years old!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, but what do you think your wife and daughter would think if they saw what you were doing," he asked. "They would be ashamed. I'm certain of it. You say you know me, but I've never met a mother who wouldn't be ashamed of this kind of behavior. And what of your surviving children? Do they even know what you're doing?"

"If I'm perfectly honest, they have no idea that I'm even here. And they never will." He held up his staff, darkness curling around it. "I want to protect them from my own darkness. I know how far I've fallen. And yet, as far as I fall will be as much as I rise. Once I correct the wrongs, I will rise out of the darkness, or rather, it will be as if I've never fallen in the first place."

"What are you talking about," asked Makarov. "You can't undo the past."

"Watch me," he replied. "I will undo what has been done to our family. I shall resurrect our family from the ashes, like a phoenix!"

"You're insane!"

"My plan will work," he replied. "I will gain what I need. I already have the souls of her parents, now I just need the Key herself."

"You won't get her," Makarov declared, growing to be just taller than Master Pluto. "You'll have to kill me first." He put his hands together, glowing brightly with golden light. "I try not to use this spell more than I have to. After all, it shaves a year off my life for every person I use it on."

"Are you about to use Fairy Law," asked Pluto with an amused smile. "I suppose you can try. At least if it doesn't work, your life will be spared."

"It will work." He held his hands in front of himself, the golden magic circle appearing. " **Fairy Law.** " He waited for the golden light to wipe out all the fight left in Master Pluto, but instead watched as he laughed.

"I told you it wouldn't work," he said with a smirk. "After all, how could you ever dare to harm one of your precious children? I may have left the guild 23 years ago, but you were still my master."

"I don't remember anyone leaving that long ago," Makarov replied. "That would've been before most of the current members would've even been here."

"Silly me," said Pluto with a chuckle. "I don't think you've realized who I really am yet." He said something almost completely inaudible, making Master Makarov's eyes widen.

"Wait, then you're-"

* * *

Lucy held Maddie in her Lap as Loke walked around the guildhall.

"I hate not being able to help," said Lucy. "I feel useless just sitting here while everyone else fights for the sake of Magnolia and the guild."

"It's unavoidable," Loke replied. "Someone needs to be here to protect Maddie. I mean, I could stay and do it myself while you fight, but you're still recovering. You need to stay back here. Good news is, if anyone manages to get back here, well, by the time they break through, they'll be too weak to actually put up much of a fight. And you've gotten a lot stronger since the Grand Magic Games Lucy. You'll definitely be able to defend yourself and Maddie."

"I can fight too," said Maddie. "I have magic too!"

"I'm sure you do," Loke replied. "And I bet they're pretty powerful! But we still have to try our best not to use our magic until we absolutely have to. The more we use magic, the more we'll waste."

"Aren't you wasting magic by being here," asked Lucy in annoyance. "You little hypocrite."

"I survived in the human world for a full three years, not to mention I was using magic the whole time!" He flashed her a charming smile. "Compared to a short battle, my magic is limitless. And I can fight without draining your magic since I crossed by my own accord."

At that moment, Carla flew in with Romeo, panting as she gently placed the passed out boy on the floor.

"He was hurt in battle," she managed to say as Loke rushed over to him, picking him up.

"Easy there buddy," he said. "I'll carry him up to the infirmary. You coming Carla?"

"Yes," she said with a nod, following Loke.

"Romeo got hurt," said Maddie softly. "I knew people were gonna get hurt protecting me." She started to tear up, sniffling.

"Don't cry Maddie," said Lucy as she held her closer. "They made a choice to risk their lives to protect you. But no one will die, I promise. Not once since I've been a member has someone passed away."

"Promise?"

"Yeah!" The two were interrupted when Gray staggered into the guildhall, his head down and his hair hiding his eyes. "Oh hey Gray. Why are you back here? Are you hurt?"

"Run," he struggled out. "Run!"

"Gray, what's wrong with you," Lucy asked, putting Maddie down on the chair and standing up. "You're acting really weird."

"I said run dammit," he shouted, throwing his head up and making his yellow eyes visible. "I'm not in control of myself! Run before he makes me do something I'll regret!"


	11. We Do It For Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comrades fall as they fight against the darkness of Underworld Origin. Mira continues to fight against Mors, hoping to learn more about Underworld Origin and their goals, but will they learn enough to stop their dark plans?

Gray started heading towards Maddie in a menacing fashion, making Maddie walk back a bit on the bench she stood on.

"Gray, why are you doing this," Lucy asked as she tackled him from behind, pulling him away from Maddie.

"Josiah," he managed to get out. "He uses Puppeteer Magic! It's like the reverse of Sherry's, and it only works on living things!" He threw her off, making her hit the bar with a loud thud and a cry of pain. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to fight it but I can't!"

"Then I guess I have no choice," said Lucy as she stood up, holding her back with one hand and a golden Gate Key with another. "Maddie, run to the infirmary! Loke will protect you, I promise! Don't let him leave that room until I've taken out Gray!"

"O-Okay," said Maddie as she ran off.

" **Open, Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus!** " Before Gray could chase after Maddie, there was Taurus, twirling his ax and standing in front of him.

"Miss Luuuucy, am I gonna get a smooooooch," he asked, making Lucy regret everything.

"Just knock out Gray," she replied. "He's under a spell! We can't let him get past the first floor!" She pointed at him. "Knock him out so that he won't be able to move!"

"You got it Miss Luuuucy," said Taurus as he brought the ax down towards Gray. Gray was just barely able to tuck and roll away from it.

"Damn, I can't even let myself get hit!"

 _"Take out the Celestial Spirit and the girl,"_  echoed Josiah's voice in Gray's mind,  _"but do not kill the girl. We can't risk killing anyone in the Fairy Tail guild."_

"Shut up," he said as he went to punch Taurus in the gut. "Get out of my head you invasive creep!"

"Geez, I know Taurus is a little pervy, but a creep?"

"Not talking to him Lucy!" He threw back his hands. "Josiah's relaying commands in my head!  **Ice Make Cannon!** " He held the cannon and aimed it at Taurus, sending a round of hard ice towards him. Taurus managed to block it with his ax and smirked.

"If you think that's gonna beat me, then you've got another thing coming!" Taurus jumped up, twirling his ax and getting ready to throw it down on Gray, about to split him in half.

"Taurus  _ **stop**_ ," Lucy shouted out in horror. "You're gonna kill him like that!" Taurus stopped mid attack, only inches away from having killed the Ice Make wizard.

"You shouldn't have stopped him," said Gray as he punched Taurus straight in the gut. "If that's what it takes to take me down then you've gotta do it!"

"I won't let anyone kill you!" She held out her Gate Key. "Taurus, you're too dangerous in this! Go back!"

"Sorry Miss Luuuucy," he apologized as he disappeared.

" **Open, Gate of the Archer, Sagittarius!** "

"How do you do my lady," asked Sagittarius as he appeared from the gate, looking in the completely wrong direction and saluting.

"I need you to take down Gray," she said, pointing at the man in question. "He's not himself! Is there anyway you can take him out without hurting him too badly?"

"Of course my lady," he replied as he pulled out a blunted arrow. "As your magic grows, so does my arsenal! I have different kinds of arrows that I can use now! These are stunning arrows! They're blunt so they will cause damage, but they won't kill!"

"Whoa, that's amazing!" She smirked and pointed at Gray. "Alright Sagittarius, knock him down!"

"Yes indeed!" Sagittarius fired five arrows, one to the chest, one to each arm and once to each leg. Gray shouted in pain and he fell. "One more to just the right point should do it!" He drew another arrow, hitting Gray's stomach and making him grunt loudly before his yellow eyes closed. "There's a spot on the body called the solar plexus, and when hit the right way can "knock the wind" out of someone and even render them unconscious! This is the perfect way to knock out a friend without causing them any real harm!"

"Awesome!" Lucy lifted up her hand for a high five. "Thanks Sagittarius, you're a literal life saver!"

"Anything for my key holder," he replied as he hesitated, but returned the high five. "Is there anything else you require of me?"

"Nope, that's it! You're free to go!" She gave the spirit a wave as he disappeared. "Well that worked out well!"

"You think so," asked Gray, Josiah's voice coming out of his mouth along with Gray's own as he started to sit up. "We're only just getting started Lucy Heartfilia."

"W-What?" She backed up a step, her eyes wide with shock and horror as Gray stood up fully. "We just knocked you out?! How can you possibly still be standing? Wait… You're not Gray are you?"

"How astute of you," he mocked. "My name is Josiah the Puppet Master. I am one of the members of Underworld Origin. Hand over the girl and we'll leave you alone."

"We're not handing over her to the likes of you," she responded as she grabbed her whip.  _"I already sent back Sagittarius, so I can't summon him, and Loke's upstairs protecting Maddie! I don't know if any of my other spirits could help in this situation!"_  She held it taut in her hand. "I'm gonna use what I've learned to beat you!"

* * *

Maddie, Carla, and Loke all sat around the hospital bed that Romeo was in.

"I wish this wasn't happening," said Maddie as she looked at him. "He's hurt now…"

"Would you quit your complaining child," Carla snapped. "That's all you've been doing ever since they got here! Complain and complain and complain!"

"Hey there," said Loke, standing up, "no need to get nasty! She's just a kid!"

"She's not helping anyone by whining and crying!" She couldn't help but see Wendy when she was younger in the way Maddie was currently acting. "None of this is her fault. Do you hear that Maddie? You didn't ask for any of this. You need to understand that and stop blaming yourself. Besides, what if they had gone after another child and that child had wound up in a different place? Fairy Tail is far more capable of defending themselves than any other guild in Fiore, possibly even all of Ishgar. If any guild should've had this trouble, then it was best for it to be the magical guild Fairy Tail."

"She does have a point," Loke admitted, sitting back down, "but you could be nicer about it."

"Being nice won't change what's happening." She crossed her arms over her chest. "We have to face the facts. Something like this was bound to happen, regardless as to the child they choose or the place that child escaped to. I'd just call it a feeling since my precognitive abilities don't seem to be working right now, but, I feel like sending Maddie to Fairy Tail was the best chance she possibly had." She gave her a gentle smile. "Don't worry child, they'll beat back Underworld Origin."

"Thank you." Maddie smiled. "I'm sorry for complaining. I'm just… I'm scared. I don't know what's going to happen next."

_"It's time."_

Maddie looked around, wondering where the whisper had come from.

"Did you guys hear that," she asked, looking around.

"Hear what," asked Loke, a little concerned. "Aside from the battles outside, I don't hear anything."

"I didn't hear anything either child. Perhaps the stress is making you hear things." Maddie looked at the two, wondering if she really had been the only one to hear it.

"Maybe," she said softly, looking out a nearby window.  _"But that voice, it sounded so familiar…"_

"Maybe you should head back downstairs," suggested Carla to Loke. "Maddie said she was in the middle of a fight after all. You're one of her spirits, aren't you supposed to be protecting her?"

"Nah," he replied with a knowing smile, "Lucy can handle herself. Besides, if she needs me, she'll call for me. I'll ride out towards her on the wings of love!"

"She can just call you know," Carla pointed out in annoyance.

* * *

Lucy used her star whip to keep Gray away from the stairs.

"Let go of the hold you have on my friend you sick jerk!" She spun the whip around her head before hitting Gray across the chest and knocking him over.

"An unconscious wizard is the easiest to control," he replied as he got back up again. "For the record, I don't feel a thing. I am only manipulating his body and seeing through his eyes. I do not feel what he feels. You're only hurting your friend. You won't be able to get rid of me with brute force."

"Well then I guess I'll have to try something else," she replied as she flicked the whip once again, hitting Gray across the chest once more. This time, when it connected, she ran forward and pushed him towards a support beam, grunting as she felt him slam against the beam. "You can't do anything if you can't move!" With another clever flick of her whip, she managed to make it wrap around Gray several times before she tied the handle and the tip of the whip together on the opposite side of the beam.

"You're worthy of the Heartfilia name," said Gray with a smirk. "Your mother was an intelligent woman, as was her mother and the generations of Heartfilias before her."

"What do you know of any of that," she asked, glaring at him. "Talk."

"I could tell you a lot," he replied. "I studied quite a lot relating to the history of magic. The Heartfilias are considered the pioneers of Celestial Spirit magic. The only people to ever gather all 12 of the Golden Gate Keys have ever been Heartfilias."

"That can't be true," she replied. "I would've known."

"How much do you really know about your family's history?"

* * *

Thanatos was easily dodging Natsu's attacks.

"You seem to be at a disadvantage in this fight. You can only use one element, while I can make use of all of them."

"You seem to be needing to hold those lacrimas to make it work," Natsu pointed out, grinning as he went to kick Thanatos over the head, but ultimately missed.

"That's partially true," he replied. "I have to hold it to activate the powers of it, but once I've accessed the powers then I can let go of them."

"Sounds like a huge problem," said Happy with a smile as he brought Natsu towards Thanatos, trying to let Natsu punch him right in the face. "If you have to hold them, then all we have to do is keep your hands busy while we fight!"

"Oh no, you've seen through my greatest strategy and have found my only weakness," he said sarcastically as he smoothly moved over. "I'm joking of course. The only reason I lost to you in the first place was because you entered Dragon Force. You can't do that now, can you?"

"I don't even know what that is to be honest," Natsu replied. "Either way, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to bring you down again!" He quickly took in a big, deep breath. " **Fire Dragon ROAR!** " Thanatos attempted to move away, but still got burned on his right side. "Ha, got you, you sneaky jerk!"

"Only because I didn't expect that," he replied as he reached into his jacket. "Perhaps I should've gone with my earlier plan." He pulled out the same fire red lacrima he had been holding earlier. "Fire magic will be the best enemy to beat you with."

"Hah, you don't know Natsu at all," Happy said with a smile. "Natsu can eat fire magic!"

"We'll just see about that," said Thanatos as he held his arm out, his palm facing Natsu as it sent a fireball to him.

"Looks tasty," said Natsu as he licked his lips before eating it all up, wiping his lips. "Thanks for the meal."

"Just wait a second." Even though he wore a skull mask, Natsu and Happy could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

"What's your-" Before Natsu could finish his sentence, his eyes went wide, feeling like his body was pulsing.

"Natsu what's wrong," asked Happy as Natsu gripped his stomach tightly.

"I feel like my insides are eating themselves!" Fire started spilling from his mouth as he started to shake.

"Natsu!" Happy flew down and gently put him on the ground, his wings disappearing as he teared up. "Natsu what's wrong?! Why are you acting like this?!" Thanatos landed not far away. Happy looked up at him and glared through his tear filled eyes. "What did you do to my friend?! What was in that fire?!"

"There was nothing wrong with the fire," he replied. "Merely the source." He kicked Natsu in the stomach hard, making Natsu retch like he was going to throw up.

"Stop it," said Happy as he jumped in front of Natsu, putting himself between his best friend and their enemy. "You're literally kicking him while he's down! You've already beat him with that weird fire, so stop  _ **please!**_ " It took everything Happy had to keep from sobbing in that moment, seeing his friend so vulnerable.

"I suppose you're right." Thanatos held up his hand, fire crackling around it. "Then again, kicking people while they're down has always been my specialty." He hit Happy with a ball of fire, making him scream in pain. Thanatos then kicked Happy hard, sending him into the side of a building. "You're noble for sure. It takes a lot of strength for such a weak, pathetic creature like yourself to stand up for their friends. I'll let you live, if only for a respect for that and because my master has ordered us to not kill anyone here."

"Happy," Natsu struggled out, lifting up a hand towards his friend. "I'm… gonna kill you Thanatos… I swear I'm gonna…" His hand fell to the ground as his eyes closed.

"That's what I though." Thanatos started walking towards the guildhall. "Now, to try and break the spell that she left on the hall. Then we can get the Key and finally leave this godforsaken place." He winced, a hand flying to his right side. "Damn, I still haven't fully recovered from the punishment I received from hurting that damn Heartfilia girl. Well, even injured I'll still win."

* * *

"Yes, my master," said Mors as he and Mirajane talked. "He was once a member of your guild. I'm afraid I can't tell you who he is though. We were all sworn to secrecy. We'll take that secret to our graves."

"I respect that," she replied, "but why would he say that Fairy Tail is the worst of them all?"

"Because people in your guild die. They're so gung ho about the guild that they put it before their own lives. He said he's known more than enough people than he should have to who died on behalf of the guild."

"I can't say he's not wrong about people dying," she said, "but you have it wrong. It's not that they die for the guild itself. They've died for the people in it. They die because they're protecting those they care about and love. Some of us have blood families in the guild, like myself, like Alzack and Bisca, or some have formed a bond stronger than blood could ever forge. We've fought, cried, lost, and all loved together. Our guild is a family. We don't die for each other because we think it's what a guild should do. We do it because we all love each other, and if it's a choice between ourselves and the rest of our family, then we choose our family. We choose to save them." She closed her eyes, placing her hand over her heart. "When it comes to our loved ones, as much as I want to live, I want them to live more. I know that if I were to die, it would make my family sad. And yet, they can still move on. They can recover from it. But if I were to loose everyone close to me just because I was afraid of death, then I couldn't live with myself. It's a very easy choice when you think about it." She smiled at him. "Just because we're in a magical guild called Fairy Tail doesn't mean we automatically have to give up everything for the guild. We do it of our own free will."

"Touching," he said sarcastically. "I can't say I don't understand that on a level. I'd give anything for my wife and daughter. And that's exactly why I'm doing this. I have to do this, it's the only way that I can restore my wife, and bring back my daughter!" He threw out his arm, a black vine wrapping around Mira.

"I understand your daughter," she said as she struggled against the vines, "but why your wife? She's still alive!"

"Because she doesn't eat or sleep anymore," he replied. "She hates herself so much for what happened to her, to our daughter. She can't even look in a mirror at herself! I don't care what she looks like, I never did! What I care about is the fact that she hates herself, and I want to save her!" He clenched his fist, making the vines tighten around her. "I will force things to return to the way they were before Siren's Wing attacked our family!"

"You can't," she shouted out through her pain. "You can't force things back to the way they were before you lost your daughter! Believe me I understand! After I lost Lisanna, Elfman and I were never the same! And I can tell you from personal experience that even if you get her back, things still won't go back to the way they were. You and your wife have both changed, for better or for worse. Loosing a loved one changes someone in an irreparable way. Even after I managed to get my magic back I still didn't regain that sense of confidence and assurance that I had before Lisanna left us. Elfman still sees himself as a monster sometimes, even though no one in the guild ever says that it's his fault that she died in the first place. Even Lisanna doesn't blame him, but I know that he sees her sometimes and feels overwhelming guilt at what he did to her! You can't just get rid of all of that by bringing her back and fixing your wife's body!" She pushed her arms away from her body, breaking the vines. "The only people you're gonna hurt with that mentality is your wife! You should help her through her grief instead of extending it with the promise of bringing your daughter back! You're the one making her suffer like this! The dead stay dead, and you can either accept that, or refuse and drive yourself to your own grave in the process!" She threw a punch at him, going so fast he was unable to dodge, his back slamming into a dead tree.

"You pack quite the punch," he said after reaching underneath his mask to rub his chin. "I shouldn't expect anything less. After all, you're one of the few. Whether it was luck or skill, I'm still unsure of."

"One of the few," she asked, grabbing his collar and slamming him against the tree. He grunted out from the impact, his body starting to tense up. "Explain! What do you mean by one of the few? One of the few what?!"

"Of the few Fairies left," he replied with a chuckle. "You're one of the very few left."

"I'm not a Fairy," she shouted as she slammed him again. "I'm a demon and I embraced that power long ago! Now tell me what you mean, what you really mean!"

"I already did," he insisted. "I can't explain any further. It's too dangerous."

"Tell me!" She threw a punch right next to his head, splintering the wood in the area and leaving a hole larger than two of his heads.

"I mean it when I say it's dangerous. You can't know." He smirked as vines slowly grew around Mira's ankles. "Trust me, you don't really want to know."

* * *

Evergreen was flying around fast, trying to avoid the feather that was chasing her.

"Keep running," Anubis encouraged with amusement in his voice, "but it will catch up with you eventually. Your sins always catch up with you. They always overcome you, and they always deliver your death!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" She saw the feather speed up and started to go faster.  _"This is bad, I'm getting close to my max speed. If this feather goes faster than that, then I'm gonna fall victim to his spell!"_  She looked down at the rest of the Thunder Legion, all of them slowly being covered in some black and blue substance, like they were being turned into darkness itself. Laxus had at least half of his body covered in it.  _"Can Laxus last much longer in his condition?!"_  She went as fast as she possibly could, but the feather kept going faster.

"You can never outrun your sins," said Anubis in a more serious tone. "Time to die Evergreen the Fairy." The feather touched her chest, right where her heart was, and she felt like her heart was racing. Her eyes widened to try and see, but she went into complete darkness as she fell, now unable to see anything of the world around her.

"EVERGREEN," shouted out Elfman as he ran to catch her, holding her close to his chest once he did. "What happened?" He loosened his grip to look as her, but here eyes were glowing a dark, malevolent violet.

"I am the Fairy Queen," she said softly as she relived her memories in full.

"Ever what are you saying," he asked as he shook her. "Snap out of it."

"What's wrong with Evergreen Big Bro," asked Lisanna as she came up behind her brother.

"I don't know," he replied as he looked up at Anubis, "but you have something to do with it, don't you?!"

"Guilty as charged." He shrugged. "My name is Anubis, and I'm the Reaper Judge! Don't worry about your friends, they're just watching their past sins play out in front of them. Nothing big, just slowly burning out their hearts and therefore killing them. That girl your holding is getting the worst of my magic. She's feeling everything. All the pain and suffering she's suffered through, and the exact same feelings that she felt when she inflicted it. Oh yeah, she's in the most pain for sure."

"You sick twist monster!" Elfman gently put down Evergreen. "Lisanna, keep watch over Evergreen."

"You got it," she replied as she moved to get down on the ground and hold her. "Beat him down Big Bro!"

"You bet I will," he said as his magic circle went down his body. "I will never forgive you for hurting Evergreen!  **Full Body Takeover! Beast Soul: Belcusas!** " His body transformed into the beast Rustyrose had once created. "This is one of my strongest Takeovers, and I'm going to use it to make you sorry you ever set foot in Magnolia!" He clasped his hands together, jumping up and holding them above his head before slamming them down on Anubis's head. He managed to successfully knock the wizard down on the ground, but all he did was groan in annoyance.

"Damn, I've hit my limit," Anubis complained as she started to get up. "Guess I shouldn't have used my Feather of Truth. Otherwise I could send you into a world of pain from your sins. I can see them. They're few and far between, but they're so strong and powerful. You feel so much guilt over them." He laughed. "Oh how delicious that fear is. That intense amount of regret." He looked over at Lisanna. "And it all traces back to your little sister. I've heard stories about how you almost killed her." He laughed. "Amazing you can even look your brother in the eyes after that incident!"

"It wasn't his fault," Lisanna shouted out. "He didn't mean to! He wasn't in control when that happened! But he's in control now and he'll never hurt me like that again! I know he won't because I believe in my big brother!"

"That's nice," Anubis said sarcastically. "Belief doesn't stop him from being a monster."

"Shut up," Elfman shouted out as he swung his arm, meaning to send Anubis flying. Instead, Anubis just jumped up over it. "Real men don't let the same mistakes happen twice! I will never hurt anyone the way I hurt Lisanna ever again!" He went to punch Anubis in the gut, but all Anubis had to do was hold out his hand and I blocked Elfman's attack.

"Damn, if you'd put a little more strength into that, it might've actually hurt!" He pushed Elfman's fist, sending him flying backwards. "You're gonna have to do better than that to defeat me!"

" **SUMMONED LIGHTNING!** " Three cards flew at him, landing on his chest and making Anubis actually scream out in pain.

"Who was that," asked Lisanna as she looked in the direction where it came from, seeing Cana standing there.

"Cana!" Elfman slowly stood up. "I thought you and Juvia were on a job. When did you two get back?"

"When we found out that Underworld Origin was gonna be right at our doorstep," she responded. "The train wouldn't come any closer so we hijackd a magic mobile and got here as fast as we could." She looked around, seeing all the people passed out and the destruction. "Looks like we were too late though. The attack has already started." She looked over at him. "You must be one of the stooges of Underworld Origin."

"Anubis the Reaper Judge," he managed to say, the lightning no longer affecting him. "You're definitely one powerful wizard. You're Gildarts's daughter aren't you? Thinking about fighting you makes me real excited! You managed to actually make that attack hurt!"

"We're gonna have to work together Elfman," she said. "Lisanna, use this." She tossed her a card. "It's a Chariot Card. I already powered it up, hopefully it'll help slow down the effects of whatever spell he's got on the Thunder Legion but I'm not positive."

"Alright," said Lisanna as she held out the card. "Please help them!" The card glowed softly, and the Thunder Legion seemed more relaxed.

"How clever of you," said Anubis. "I can't wait to pummel the both of you into the ground!"

* * *

Laki and Max were back to back as they kept beating down the weaker minions.

"It's like their endless," she said loudly as she threw out a wood hammer at one of them."

"We have to try," he replied. " **Sand Rebellion!** " The sand threw away several of the guys. "Any idea where the other went?"

"No idea," she replied as she kicked one of the members away. "I don't know where anyone is. Did you see Kinana run out to fight?"

"I did." He punched one of the members straight in the face. "Can't say I'm not worried about her. I mean, can she even fight?"

"I have no idea, but we've gotta trust her! She helped out so much during the dragon attack. She's capable of more than we know I bet. There's gotta be a reason she was cursed. People don't just toss around curses for nothing."

* * *

Kinana was, in fact, busy at work, trying to carry people out of Magnolia so that they were out of the crosshairs of the fight. They were all still asleep, but they were well enough away from the town that they seemed to be safe.

"I wish I could protect you better," she said honestly. "I may not be a wizard, but I can still do something to protect the guild and the people of the town. I'll make sure everyone gets to safety!" She started running back towards the town.

* * *

Wendy was still facing off against Breeze, but all of her attacks were being sent away from her. She was starting to get tired, panting a bit as she looked at her enemy.

"You're just wasting your magic," said Breeze with a deranged laugh. "You'll be sapped of your strength before we even get the girl!"

"Then I'll just get more," she replied as she started to eat the air.

"That's right, you're a Dragon Slayer. Hm." She put her hand on her chin, smirking. "What's the best way to defeat a Sky Dragon Slayer?" She hit her fist against her palm. "Oh I know!" She smirked and pointed at Wendy, then pulling the air away. "Since you're a Sky Dragon Slayer, you won't die from oxygen deprivation because your magic will automatically create its own, but that does mean you can't eat any air and regain anymore strength! After all, you can't eat your own magic!"

"That's true," she replied, "but I still recovered plenty of magic! I can eat air really fast!" Wind surrounded her leg as she went to kick Breeze. "I refuse to let you win! You hurt Romeo and my guild! I have to stop you, or else who will?!"

"I guess no one," Breeze replied with a shrug. "Too bad you're gonna be beaten down to the pavement. "She jumped up and kicked Wendy square in the chest, making her scream and sending her flying. Wendy landed on the ground with a thud and a grunt, looking up as Breeze stalked over towards her. "I'm gonna break every bone in your body!" She kicked Wendy in the stomach repeatedly, making the poor girl grunt out in pain and grip her gut to try and prevent any further damage. "But you won't die. Oh no, that wouldn't be good for anything." She stomped on Wendy's right arm, making her shriek in pain. "You can't heal yourself, right? So then you'll have to suffer in agony! If I take out Fairy Tail's healer, then you can't heal your comrades so they can keep fighting and fighting! I'm gonna hurt you so badly, you'll never move again, and your guild will be crippled!" She twisted her foot against Wendy's arm, making her shriek out louder. "Oh yeah, that's what I like to hear!" She lifted up her foot to try and stomp on her other arm.

" **IRON DRAGON CLUB!** " Breeze looked up in surprise as she saw an extending club come right at her, hitting her in the gut and shooting her away from Wendy.

"Wendy, are you alright," asked Levy as she ran to the girl's side, getting down on her knees.

"Levy," she managed to say weakly and Gajeel and Pantherlily joined them. "Y-You guys are back."

"Sh, don't try to talk," said Levy as she cradled Wendy's head. "You're hurt, you need to save your strength."

"You monster," said Gajeel as he glared at Breese. "The hell kind of person are you, beating up on a little girl like this?!"

"My name's Breeze," she replied with a smirk. "Oh, you're a Dragon Slayer too, aren't you? I heard you guys are protective of your own kind. Did I make you peeved when I hurt the wittle baby dwagon?" She laughed. "She'll heal soon enough. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to kill anyone."

"I'd suggest not talking to aggressively," said Pantherlily as he grabbed Musica and transformed into his battle mode. "Wendy is family to us and we won't tolerate you making fun of her or hurting her like that!"

"Then hit me with your best shot!" She jumped at the two of them, who jumped to meet her.

* * *

Erza was still fighting Vena, her swords continuing to knock out Vena's rubble that she kept throwing.

"Why won't you just give up," asked Erza as she kept moving forward. "We both know you're beat. I don't want to hurt someone more than I have to!"

"You haven't even landed a single blow on me," she countered. "Besides, even if I can't crush you with gravity itself, I can still crush you!" She put both of her fists together, smirking as a mountain of rubble, probably a whole building's worth, came down on Erza. "You may be strong, but can you kept from being crushed by a building?!" Erza had no choice but to requip into her Adamantine Armor, the only thing that could protect her body from such a strong attack. When she did, she felt her body get pulled down to the ground. She put the two pieces of the shield together, managing to keep the rubble from crushing her.

 _"Dammit,"_  she thought to herself as she struggled to keep from being crushed,  _"I let my confidence get the best of me! I shouldn't have assumed it'd be easy to beat her just because she was new at using her magic. That arrogance has left me vulnerable!"_

"What's wrong," asked Vena as she smirked. "Can't get out of this? Don't assume that because I'm new that I can't beat you!"

"I will defeat you," she declared. "I don't care what it takes, but I will drive you and the rest of your organization from Magnolia if it takes the last of my strength, the last of my breath! I won't let you ruin my beloved town!"

"Sounds like someone wants the gravity increased!" Vena pushed her fists down, making Erza cry out in pain as the gravity increased. "You could requip into your Gravity Armor and stop being affected by the gravity, but the moment you do, you'll be crushed by all the rubble. You could stay like that, but eventually you'll run out of magic and your armor won't work anymore. From what I heard, your ability only works for as long as your magic lasts. Once you loose all your magic, any armor you're wearing looses the abilities it had, so that Adamantine Armor won't do you any good in protecting you from the debris! Looks like I have you now Titania!"

" **Heavenly Body Magic, Pleiadies!** " Golden lights from the sky rained down on Vena, causing her to loose her focus and jump away. The moment she did, the gravity returned to normal around Erza. She used the chance the thrust her shield upwards, sending the rubble flying and standing up as she smiled at her saviors.

"Meldy, Jellal." The two Crime Sorcière wizards looked at Vena with a serious look as Erza requipped back into her Gravity Armor.

"You reek of Zeref's magic," he said. "This whole town does. What kind of black magics has your organization been dabbling in?"


	12. Dragon of the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As new players come onto the field and the fighting gets more intense, Maddie wonders what she should do in this situation she blames herself for. Master Mavis decides to make an appearance, telling that only she can stop the fighting. Why is it that only she can? Who is Maddie really?

Natsu was still on the ground, his eyes closed and his skin sweating literal fire. Happy lay not far from him, also passed out.

"This town looks like it's going through hell," said a voice as four people walked up to Natsu, two humans and two Exceeds.

"I can't believe something like this happened," replied one of the others as he bent down to check out Natsu. "He looks like he's in a lot of pain."

"Did he eat his own fire," asked the first person. "Geez, I remember trying to eat my own magic once on a dare and something similar happened. That idiot." He turned to look towards the Exceeds, who were heading towards Happy. "Hey, is he alright?"

"I think he'll be fine," said one of the Exceeds as he and his companion helped pick him up. "He's down and out, but he'll survive." Natsu managed to slowly open his eyes, looking up to see Rogue, Sting, Frosch, and Lector of Sabertooth.

"What are you…. Doing here," Natsu struggled to stand, but Rogue gently put his hand on Natsu's shoulder.

"Don't try to move," he said. "Sting and I will carry you."

"We're here because you asked us to look into Maddie's family," Sting reminded him, crossing his arms over his chest. "Rogue, Yukino, Frosch, Lector and I all came all the way from Lilyfield. Yukino split off from us after running into a woman named Kinana. Currently, she's using her spirits to help this woman evacuate the town. Anyway, may not be the best time, but we have important information on Maddie."

"Thanks," he managed to get out, "but we know her family's dead. Sorry, I kinda forgot I asked you guys to look into it."

"That doesn't make much sense," said Rogue, "but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is, who are these people attacking Magnolia and what do they want?"

"Fro wants to know too," said Frosch.

"They're after Maddie," Natsu said, trying to sit up, still clutching his stomach. "We have to stop Thanatos, he's going to hurt her! He's gonna head towards the guildhall!"

"Looks like he hurt you two pretty badly," said Sting as he got down, grabbing on of Natsu's arms as Rogue grabbed the other, helping the Fire Dragon Slayer to his feet. "Are you sure you don't wanna see Wendy? You look like you need healing."

"We have to stop him," Natsu insisted. "That sick bastard almost killed Lucy once before, and she's back at the guild watching after Maddie. I refuse to let him hurt either of them! I refuse to let him anywhere near Lucy!" Rogue and Sting exchanged a look. They knew what this was about.

"Alright, we'll get you to the guild," said Sting.

* * *

Yukino, her spirit Polaris, and Kinana were all carrying people out of Magnolia, trying to avoid the battles that were ongoing.

"Thank you for helping me," Kinana said as she gently placed the two people she was carrying on the ground.

"It's no problem," Yukino replied with a smile as she put down the people she had with her, looking at all the people on the ground. There were two hundred or more people at the very least. "You managed to get all of these people out of Magnolia by yourself?"

"Yeah!" She looked out at everyone. "They're under some sort of sleeping spell, and I don't have any idea how to lift it. But hopefully, we'll be able to get everyone out before too long." She looked over at Yukino. "So, why are you and your friends from Sabertooth here in Magnolia?"

"Oh, well Rogue, Frosch and I ended up sharing a job with Maddie, Happy. Natsu and Lucy," she answered with a smile. "They told us about Maddie's situation and Natsu asked Rogue to help look into it. So of course our whole guild looked into it. I don't really know what the information we uncovered is, but I'm hoping it's useful. Really, I'm only here because Rogue and Sting can get out of hand sometimes, and without Minerva in the guild, it seems that I'm the only one who's ever capable of calming them down. It's basically a guild mandate that if Sting and Rogue go anywhere, I go with them." She laughed a little bit.

"That sounds like Erza and Lucy!" Kinana's mind drifted towards her guild mates. "They're always keeping Gray and Natsu in line, but only because they fight each other a lot. But deep down, they care for each other. Everyone in Fairy Tail cares for each other."

"I can tell." Yukino looked out at the town, able to see parts of the battle. "I hope that this battle ends soon. I don't know how long it's been going on for, but I don't think Magnolia can take much more of it."

"We'll be able to fend them off," Kinana declared. "After all, no one can beat Fairy Tail!" She stopped once she realized what she said, getting a bit sheepish. "Oh, sorry, I bet that's still a sore spot for your guild. After all, the Grand Magic Games weren't that long ago."

"It's alright," Yukino assured. "We're not sore about it at all. In fact, we're glad. Fairy Tail defeating us showed us how much we had to go as a guild, and I feel like all of the members of Sabertooth are closer because of it." She smiled as she thought about it. "I joined Sabertooth because it was a strong guild and I wanted to become a stronger wizard, but now, it feels more like a family."

"Well, I'm glad we helped you see that." Kinana started walking back towards town. "Come on, we still have a lot of people to go. Magnolia is a big town!"

"Right!" Yukino followed Kinana.

* * *

Erza, Jellal, and Meldy all stood next to each other.

"No way," said Vena as she backed up a step. "Three against one? That's hardly fair!"

"You're attacking a city all so you can get your hands on a little girl and you're calling us unfair," Erza asked in disgust. She held up her sword, using it to point at Vena. "You can't start unfairly and then complain when the tables are turned!"

"Now tell me, why does this whole town reek of Zeref's magic," asked Jellal as he took a step forward. "What kind of black rituals are you trying to do? Do you need Maddie to do it?"

"Calm down," she replied. "We aren't evil you know. We all have our reasons for joining Underworld Origin. We only used a spell of Zeref's to get here, and that brat used it first!"

"You're saying a little girl knows how to use Zeref's magic," asked Meldy in disbelief. "That doesn't make any sense. All of Zeref's spells require years of study!"

"She didn't cast it you idiots," Vena replied. "Someone else did. She just reaped the benefits!"

"Enough of this." Erza declared as she jumped at Vena, grabbing her by the arms and slamming her against a building. "You will tell me your plans and tell me them now! How did you get here?! Why are you here?! What do you want with a little girl?!"

"I can't," Vena replied. "The master cast a spell on all of us. We literally can't tell you anything! It's impossible!"

"I'm sure I can break the spell," said Jellal as he stepped towards her. "When I was on the Magic Council, it gave me access to all kinds of magic, including forbidden ones. If I'm given enough time, I'm sure I can crack through this spell and find the reversing spell."

"Sometimes I forget you were on the Magic Council," said Erza with a smile. "Alright, try to get the spell to break."

"Don't mind if I do," he replied with a smile, holding up his hand as a golden magic circle appeared. "Just hold her still."

"Hey, don't cast any spells on me," she said, struggling against Erza's iron tight grip. "Let me go!"

* * *

Pantherlily, Gajeel, and Breeze were all engaged in an intense battle.

"Well, looks like I can't use my magic against the two of you," she said with a smirk. "Flow Magic doesn't really work well on body based magic. However," she pointed her finger at Gajeel and Musica went from thrusting at Breeze and heading towards Gajeel, "weapons are just as manipulatable!" Pantherlily growled and managed to pull the sword off of its trajectory.

"So that means I have to rely on my fists," he said as he shrank Musica back down and put it on his back. "I still like these odds."

"Don't get too cocky," said Gajeel as he carefully watched Breeze. "She may be petite but I sense a lot of power and raw strength coming off of her." He turned to Levy. "We're gonna need your help in this fight Shrimp!"

"But what about Wendy," she asked, still cradling the poor injured girl.

"I can take her," said someone walking up to them, smirking.

"Gildarts, is that really you," asked Levy. He smiled and gently picked up Wendy.

"You bet your ass it's me," he replied. "Normally, I'd be all for fighting, but injured little ones take priority." He turned away, heading towards the guildhall. "Make sure to make her pay for hurting a kid." Gajeel smirked, laughing.

"You got it old man." He turned back towards Breeze, pounding his fist into his palm. "Looks like the three of us are gonna take you down little girl!" He threw out his arm, " **Iron Dragon Lance!** " The attack went right towards her gut. She jumped up and managed to avoid it, but Pantherlily jumped into the sky and kicked her down towards the ground, making her cry out in pain.

"She's heading your way Levy," he called out. Levy nodded and held out her hand.

" **Solid Script, Rock!** " She landed right on the solid rock, yelling in pain.

"Damn, shouldn't have gotten in a fight with you guys," she managed to say sarcastically as she got up. "Too bad I don't have any good tricks up my sleeves. Oh wait." She smirked and pointed at Levy, swinging her arm towards the tree she had once been bound to by Gajeel. With a yelp, Levy was pushed by the air around her and sent flying towards said tree. Gajeel yelled out her name, running as fast as he could to catch her and pull her out of the way.

"Never again," he growled out, glaring at Breeze.

"Gajeel," asked Levy cautiously, looking up at him with concern. She hadn't seen such a dark look on his face since Gajeel had joined the guild.

"Never again will I allow Levy to be up against that god forsaken tree," he shouted out as he put her on her feet. "You even try that and I'll kill ya! You got me?!  _ **She's never gonna be stuck to that damn tree again!**_ " He jumped up, launching himself towards Bree and punching her directly in the face. He kept punching her, not letting up.

"Gajeel, you're-" Before Levy could say anything else, Pantherlily put a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know what's gotten into him" he admitted, "but he's angrier than I've ever seen him. Let him be. I'll stop him if he gets to be too much."

 _"I know exactly why he's angry,"_  she thought to herself, looking up at the tree, a dark memory that she'd rather forget coming up to the surface.  _"He's never fully forgiven himself for what he did to me, hurting me and binding me to the tree."_  She looked back towards him.  _"Oh Gajeel, I forgave you a long time ago. You've changed so much since then."_

* * *

"I don't really know much about my family," Lucy said honestly. "Mom died when I was little, and dad didn't know her family well. I knew plenty about my dad's side, but not much about my mom's."

"Well, you come from a long line of Celestial Spirit Wizards," said Gray. "A few haven't been, but if anyone in the Heartfilia family uses magic, it's always Celestial Spirit magic. But more than that, your line has the most powerful Celestial Spirit magic. In most bloodlines, the abilities die out over time, but your bloodline's still going strong. Even though Heartfilias have almost always married and had children with non-wizards, the power of their children is still just as great as their predecessor. Some say you were given a blessing, a purpose in order to accomplish this. However, once you start to get into your late 20's, early 30's, you tend to get weak and start to loose the ability to use your magic. And all this seems to trace back to one woman, Anna Heartfilia."

"Is she my ancestor," Lucy asked. "I've never heard of her."

"That's because she disappeared over 400 hundred year ago," he replied. "She left behind her newborn baby daughter, Eliza Heartfilia, with her husband. Afterwards, Eliza gained only some of her mother's keys and picked up Celestial Spirit magic. And over time, she passed and gave her keys to her daughter, and so on. Eventually, they fell into Layla Heartfilia's hands, and then into yours."

"That makes sense," she replied. "Celestial Spirit magic is a holder magic. And if the women in my family die so young, then of course we'd pick up our mother's magic. It makes me feel closer to my mom." Her eyes widened in horror. "Wait, does that mean I'm going to die young?!"

"We have every reason to believe you won't die young because of this mysterious illness plaguing your family." He looked up at her, his glowing violet eyes cold and calculating. "You're the healthiest Heartfilia in years. If you were going to die like your predecessors, you would've started to have fatigue of some sort by now. Every now and then, it would be a little more draining than normal to summon your spirits. But you haven't felt anything like that, have you? In fact, you've just been getting stronger."

"Well, yeah," she admitted. "But how do you even know any of this?!"

"We carefully research those who may stand in our way." His eyes narrowed. "You, Lucy Heartfilia, are most certainly one of our biggest threats. You may not be strong physically, but with your magic, you'd be strong enough to summon the Celestial Spirit King."

"But he doesn't have a Key," she replied. "How could I possibly open his gate?"

"I suppose you'll never know." He looked past her, although Lucy didn't notice him doing that because of his eyes. He looked right at Thanatos, who was working on breaking through the barrier. "At least, not yet. Let's try to cut a deal. We just need the Key for one single spell. Just one, to be cast in three weeks time. The only reason we're here so early is because it will help speed along the preparations if we have the girl. What if we promise to return her safe and sound? We have everything we need for the spell, we just need her. And when we have her and have what we want, then we'll bring her right back here. Or better yet, we'll bring her back to her family."

"You  _ **murdered**_  her family," Lucy shouted, her face screwed up in anger. "You killed her parents, so why should I trust anything you say?!"

"Because once we have the Key, it will open the Gate," he replied. "She will be the key that can unlock world change, and rip open the gates of the Underworld. All of us in Underworld Origin have one goal, to go into Hades itself and bring back those we lost. When we do that, we can bring back whoever we want, including her parents."

"Power like that doesn't exist," said Lucy, "not without a cost. Magic has limits like everything else! Once the dead are dead, they stay dead! There's nothing in this world that can bring someone back!"

"What about the power of a God," asked Gray. "This is a ceremony to unlock the ancient Goddess of the Celestial Spirit World, Serenity! A goddess so powerful, the God of Magic Anhkseram shook in fear of her."

"Serenity," Lucy repeated. "The Goddess Serenity, where have I heard that before?"

"I don't know," said Gray, "but she has more power than anyone in the universe. She has the ability to harness the ability of the stars, the planets! You know how the Eclipse Gate draws power from the Celestial Spirit Realm, correct?" she nodded. "It does take advantage of the difference of time, but that only allows one to travel forward in time. The Eclipse Gate can only travel backwards in time by harnessing the power of the planet Pluto. Each planet gives off a specific kind of magic power, a signature of sorts. They can even influence the events going on within Earthland. The stars and constellations have this same power, but not quite so much as the planets themselves. The Goddess Serenity can harness all of this power since she reigns over the night sky."

"Nothing could possibly be that powerful!" Lucy glared at him. "Stop making stuff up! What if Maddie hears you and gets false hope from this?!"

"It's not false," he replied. "We can really do this if we want to. I can talk to the master and see if he'd be willing to use her power to bring back her parents. We only need them dead for the purpose of the spell, but once it's complete, we have no reason to keep them dead."

"I don't believe a word you're saying." She held out one of her keys. "Stop talking or I'll call one of my most powerful spirits here to get you to shut up!"

"Alright, fine," said Gray. "I'll stop talking."

* * *

Josiah looked on at Lucy from the eyes of Gray.

"Knocking out Gray Fullbuster was the best thing she could've done," he said. "It allows me complete control of him. What a fool Lucy Heartfilia is."

"What did you say," asked a woman who came up behind him. He turned around, his eyes letting go of Gray for a little bit, thus making the Ice Make Wizard's eyes close and made his body go limp.

"Juvia Lockser," he said with certainty. "A Water Wizard, capable of manipulating it to your heart's content, am I correct?"

"What did you say about Gray Fullbuster," she demanded, taking a step forward. "If you have done even a single thing to harm even one hair on his head, then I will destroy you."

"The only one who's hurt him is Lucy Heartfilia," he replied. "I'm using him as my pawn to retrieve the Key. She got in the way."

"You had one of my closest friends hurt my beloved," she asked, her face growing dark as tendrils of water started to surround her. "You dare mess with my loved ones this way? You shall pay, you shall pay with your very life!" She threw her arms out. " **Water Slicer!** " He had to jump up and out of the way, standing on top of the cage that Gray had made.

"You're extremely strong," he said. "Unfortunately, with my magic focused on Gray Fullbuster, I don't have the means to deal with you. Be gone woman."

 _ **"Don't treat me like a second rate nuisance,"**_  she screamed as she threw wave after wave at him. "You tried to hurt Lucy, you're going after Maddie now, you've clearly hurt the people of Magnolia, and you're using my beloved as a mere puppet! I will make you pay!"

* * *

Maddie was staring at her bag of tokens. The whisper telling her it was time was quiet, but still there. She looked up at Carla and Loke, unable to believe that neither of them could hear the voice.

 _"Time for what,"_  she thought to herself.  _"Time for us to give up? Time for me to surrender? I don't know!"_

"You look troubled," said a calm voice as someone descended from the ceiling. With an impish smile, Mavis Vermillion landed at the foot of Romeo's bed. "I see that there's a big fight outside, and we have a new guild member! How exciting!"

"A fairy," said Maddie in awe and surprise.

"Oh no," said Mavis with a flattered smile, "I'm not a Fairy, but I am one of the founding members of Fairy Tail. My name is Mavis Vermillion."

"First Master," said Loke in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I could feel something exciting was going on here," she replied as she floated over to Maddie. "Oh, you're a powerful young one! But you're being held back by something. And yet, here you hold the very thing that can set you free." She pointed at the bag of tokens.

"What are you talking about," asked Carla. "You're throwing me off quite a bit First Master."

"I mean what I mean," she answered. "What's your name child?"

"Maddie Harneel."

"No it isn't," said Mavis. "One of the benefits of being an apparition, it's easy for me to see the kinds of magic and spells people are under if I'm familiar with them. I am very familiar with the magic of members of Fairy Tail, all of them." She gently grabbed Maddie's hand. "Please, let your true name shine out. I feel that once your true power is unleashed, then you'll be able to drive away the darkness at our doorstep."

"That's a lot to put on a kid," said Loke with a frown, crossing his arms over his chest. "Besides, how could you recognize the magic? She's only been here a few weeks."

"The same way I recognize the magic of how she got here." Her eyes filled with excitement. "I don't know how far you came, but clearly you're not from here! Oh, I wish I knew who sent you! It must be an interesting tale." She laughed a little. "But now isn't the time to think about it. Maddie, I think it's time you unveil your true power."

"But I don't know how," she said honestly. "The council man told me I'd be able to unlock it once I remembered my name, but I don't remember my name. Not my real one. I know it's in one of my Tokens, but I don't know which one."

"Wait, so Maddie Harneel is a fake name," asked Carla. Maddie looked down, almost guiltily, and nodded.

"I don't know my real name," she said. "I was given a fake one by someone on the Magic Council, but I can't remember who."

"Doranbolt maybe," suggested Loke. "He has Memory Manipulation magic and he's on the Magic Council."

"That doesn't matter now," said Mavis. "What matters is that they've already found you, whoever is here. What's the point in hiding if they're here, ready to take you away? You should help them in any way that you can, and if remembering can help, then you need to do everything you can. That's what it means to be a Fairy Tail wizard!" Something about that resonated with Maddie. She looked into her token bag and felt around, closing her eyes. One of them felt warm, familiar and welcoming. She pulled it out. When she looked at the token, it was red with a dragon carved on one side, but the other had a star carved into it.

"Draco, the Dragon of the Stars," she said softly to herself. "I think, I think this is the one that has my name!" She held it up to Mavis.

"If you think so, then I think you're right." She smiled and made Maddie's hands clasp around it. "Go outside the shield left by Hope. I foresee our victory!" Maddie nodded, running downstairs.

"That's suicide," shouted Carla. "What are you doing, telling her to do that?! This is the first time you've met her!"

"I know what I'm doing," she replied, closing her eyes. "You may have felt it before, but there is something, well, not wrong with her, but unnatural. You Carla, must've felt it the most." She opened her eyes, looking at the two awake members. "I'm not entirely sure who she is, but I have a feeling that this is the right play. She has some powerful magic in that small body, possibly even enough to rival Gildarts Clive."

* * *

Somewhere in Magnolia, punching his way through nameless grunts to get Wendy to the guildhall, Gildarts sneezed so hard his Crash Magic turned an entire building into cubes.

"Whoops." He wiped under his nose with his finger. "Gotta watch where I aim those." He looked down at Wendy, who was passed out still. He let himself let out a small laugh. "At least I didn't aim it downwards!"

* * *

Unnoticed by Lucy, the barrier started to diminish. It was only enough that Thanatos could walk through, but it allowed him to do it. He quickly walked into the guild, coming up behind Lucy as the barrier behind him sealed back up.

"It's been a while Lucy," he said, making her freeze in fear.

"No, you can't be," she said quietly to herself. "You can't have possibly gotten through that barrier!" She slowly turned around, looking at that dark skull mask, remembering some of the horrible things he'd done to her when he kidnapped her. She took a step back. "Get away from me!"

"If you insist," said Thanatos as he backed up. "You should know that I've defeated your beloved Natsu and his flying cat."

"He's not my beloved," she shouted back. "He's too dense to think of anything in romantic terms anyway!" She paused, realizing what he had said in full. "Wait, no way! There's no way you could've beaten him. He already defeated you before!"

"But he had no Dragon Force to help him this time," Thanatos replied. "Besides, I tricked him into eating some fire that would make him sick. Once he ate it, he was completely out. The cat was no problem to deal with."

"You sick jerk!" She reached for her keys. "Well even if you got to Natsu, I won't let you get through to hurt Maddie!" At that moment, Maddie came running down the stairs.

"Looks like my prize has come for me," said Thanatos smugly as he looked at Maddie, who was running towards them. He held out his arms, almost expecting Maddie to run into them. "Come to me dear little one."

"Maddie, go back upstairs," Lucy ordered, turning around to see her. Maddie ignored them, running right past Thanatos and towards the doors. Lucy's eyes filled with shock and fear when she realized what she was doing. "Maddie stop! You can't go outside! If you do that, then you'll get captured!" Maddie stood outside the barrier, turning and smiling at Lucy.

"Don't worry," she said, sureness in her smile. "Master Fairy Lady said I could do this! I believe in her!"

"Master who? Just get back here!" Maddie turned away from Lucy and held the token high above her head.

" **Release, Seal of the Dragon of the Stars, Draco!** " The token pulsed with a golden light, lifting Maddie up into the air. She started to shout, not like she was in pain, but as more of a battle cry.  _"I know it now! I know my name, and I remember everything!"_  She held her arms out, her palms facing forwards as the Fairy Tail Magic Circle formed in her hands.

"No way," said Lucy as she stared. "Is she gonna do Fairy Law?"

"Maddie," said Natsu weakly as he, Rogue, Sting, Frosch, Lector, and Happy came to the guild, "what are you doing?! What kind of spell are you casting?! And why are you out here?!"

"It's gonna be alright," she said as she looked down at him. "I know what I'm doing. This is the spell, the magic Master Mavis made for me!" She pulled her arms away, the magic circle expanding. " **Fairy Shield!** " She started shouting again, a bubble of golden light forming in her hands and expanding. As it did, it covered those who were injured and started to heal them. It forced those with Underworld Origin to be pushed away from Magnolia. All the members of Fairy Tail watched as they felt a familiar warmth like a mother's hug envelop them, pushing out all those who wanted to do them harm.

* * *

"This light," said Wendy as her injuries started to fade, "it feels so warm…"

"Yeah, it does," said Gildarts with a smile.  _"Why am I thinking of Cornelia at a time like this? But this warmth, it reminds me of the warmth of a family."_

* * *

Cana and Elfman were panting as they stood in front of Anubis, who was laughing at them.

"As strong as you are, you two are still no match for me!" He froze when he saw the incoming wave. "Damn, the brat's awake. She finally mastered that spell!" He turned back towards them. "Well then, I guess I'll be seeing you all later." He jumped up and backwards, disappearing as the bubble went over them.

"This magic feels like Fairy Glitter," said Cana, "or the Fairy Bubble."

"It does," said Lisanna, "but a little different. Look at the Thunder Legion!" The darkness that was creeping up on them was slowly disappearing. A feather came out of Evergreen's chest, turning into light dust and floating away.

"Ever," said Elfman as he went over to her, kneeling next to her, "Ever are you alright?!"

"I thought I told you not to call me that," she said quietly, slowly opening her eyes and glaring. Even though she was annoyed, she was glad to have him there. "You big oaf."

* * *

"Is this the master's doing," asked Erza as Vena was pushed away from them, not caring that she didn't get a chance to get the information she wanted out of the girl. Jellal frowned as she watched Vena be carried off by the shield.

 _"The members of Underworld Origin may be being forced out,"_ he thought as he looked towards the guildhall,  _"but I still feel Zeref's magic. It's coming from whoever is casting this spell."_

* * *

"What kind of spell is this," asked Master Makarov as he watched Master Pluto be pushed away.

"It was only a matter of time before she remembered that spell and who she was," said Master Pluto. "We'll talk again some other time Master Makarov."

* * *

Lucy couldn't help but stare in awe as she looked at Maddie, glowing with a golden light as she pushed away everyone who wanted to do Magnolia and the Fairy Tail guild harm.

"What happened," asked Gray, his eyes slowly opening. "Whoa, when did I get tied up?!"

"Maddie," said Natsu outside, regaining his strength and running under her as she started to fall. He held her close after she did. "Whatever you did, it worked, thank you." Lucy went outside to meet Natsu, watching Maddie's sleeping face.

"Who is she," she asked. "She's not an ordinary little girl."

"Hello," asked Gray in annoyance. "I'm still tied up here!" The whip fell away as Master Mavis floated towards them.

"Maddie isn't an ordinary girl," she confirmed with a smile. "Let's let her sleep, and when she wakes up, I'm sure she'll tell us on her own!"

* * *

Natsu, Lucy, and Happy sat next to Maddie's bed in the infirmary as she slept.

"She has a crazy amount of magic power coming off of her now," said Natsu. "I can't believe I never felt it before. I told Erza she was crazy for thinking Maddie was that strong."

"Erza talked to you about this," asked Lucy. "When?"

"That was the same day she got kidnapped by Mors," said Happy. "She was so weak back then. Who knew she had so much magic power hidden in her?"

"I had no idea," said Lucy. "After all, she's just a little girl! Usually you have to work to get your magic power up as high as hers in, and that's in her resting state!"

"It's pretty cool when you think about it," said Natsu with a smirk. "It explains why the bad guys want her. I'd want someone as powerful as her on my team too."

"That's not it," said Lucy. "Josiah, one of their members told me something about a ceremony. Maddie is the Key that will unlock the gate he said. They want to free the Goddess of the Moon and Celestial Spirits, Serenity." She looked back down at Maddie. "But why would they need Maddie specifically?"

"Nnng," came Maddie's voice softly as her eyes scrunched up before they opened.

"Maddie, you're awake," said Happy with a smile. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, rubbing her eyes. "I… I remember everything now." She looked up at Natsu and Lucy, almost sadly, even though she was smiling. "Can we go downstairs? I have something I need to tell the guild."

* * *

Natsu and Lucy were standing next to Maddie as she sat in a chair. The rest of the guild stared at her as she stared at her own lap, her nervousness evident.

"First thing I should say I think," she started, speaking quietly and still not looking up, "is that you guys shouldn't call me Maddie Harneel anymore."

"Isn't that your name," asked Mira, tilting her head.

"No," she replied, "it was given to me by someone called Mest Gryder." She looked back up at everyone. "I'm… not from this era. I'm from 14 years in the future."

"14 years," repeated Gray as everyone looked in disbelief.  _"So that's why he said they'd leave Fairy Tail alone for 14 years."_

"How could you be from 14 years in the future," asked Elfman. "The Eclipse Gate was destroyed. Who would build another one?"

"I came through a different one," she replied. "I came through one at the estate of my mom." She looked up at Lucy and Natsu. "I'm, not just from the future. I'm Layla Dragneel. I'm… I'm your daughter in the future, and you're my parents…"

_**"WHAT?!"** _


	13. From That Moment On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Layla Dragneel reveals what happens 14 years in the future to the guild of Fairy Tail. Awkwardness and fear come hand in hand in her story as the members of Fairy Tail try and figure out what they need to do to defeat a threat from the future.

"Wait wait wait," said Lucy, her hands out in front of her and waving around like crazy as her face filled up with red, "you're saying that you're…. You're my… my daughter?!"

"Yeah," said Maddie, or rather Layla, with a nod of her head. "But Mest Gryder thought it'd be dangerous for me to remember that, so he took my memories and he and a few others sent me here."

"Huh," said Gajeel as he got closer to her, sniffing her, "so that's why you smell familiar. Kids tend to smell like their parents until they get older and get their own smell."

"That also explains the information we had," said Rogue. "When Sabertooth looked into the Harneel family, we couldn't find anything about them. The only conclusion we could come up with was that it was a made up last name."

"And it also explains why I felt Zeref's magic on her," said Jellal, crossing his arms over his chest. "The Eclipse Gate leaves a unique signature on people that never goes away."

"Mhm," said Layla with a nod. "My mom's friend Yukino opened the gate for me, but her husband took her away from it right after because she was pregnant and he wanted to protect her and their child." She looked up at Jellal as Yukino blushed intensely behind them. "Then you and your independent guild came and saved me before they could get me. You and a man named Mest Gryder. You blocked Underworld Origin from getting to me and told me to go to Fairy Tail for safety." She looked back down at her lap. "There were so many people who helped me that day. Most of them ended up dying." She started to tear up. "Almost everyone in the Fairy Tail Guild died that day. My parents, Amir's mom, only a few people survived."

 _"Is that what he meant by one of the few,"_  Mira asked herself.  _"Was I one of the few people to survive the attack on Fairy Tail?"_

"I was the only kid to survive," she said softly. "All of my friends, they were all killed. Para, Silver, Jack, everyone I knew died, even my best friend Amir!" She started to sob. "I'm sorry, I get everyone killed in the future! I thought I could put it past me at first, I didn't know how many people died! I have almost no one left to go home to!"

"Oh Maddie," said Lucy softly, leaning down to wrap her arms around her and pick the girl up, "it's alright. We're gonna protect you, and I promise, we won't let anyone die, not this time."

"They can't let anyone die," said Master Makarov, his eyes closed. "It's too risky. If even one of us dies, it could throw off the future and keep any of this from happening. Most importantly," he looked up at Natsu and Lucy, "he can't let the two of you die. If he does, Maddie might cease to exist."

"Who is the Master of Underworld Origin," asked Lisanna. "One of their members told me he used to be a member of Fairy Tail, but I can't imagine anyone in our guild ever becoming so dark."

"It's Isi," Makarov replied with a sigh. "Hope's husband. He's the one who runs that organization." A collective yell of shock was heard from the members who had actually had the chance to meet him.

"You're serious," asked Laki. "But he was such a kind man!"

"I can't imagine anything like it," said Gildarts. "Isi going dark like that."

"Oh wait," said Levy, pulling out the book she borrowed, "it might have something to do with this!" She sat down at the table. "It's a detailed spell, a way to create and key to open the gate to the Goddess of the Moon and all Celestial Spirits, Serenity!" She flipped through a few pages. "She has some incredible powers, but it doesn't get into describing them. It does say that when a planet rules in the sky, she gains the power of that planet. So if we take the planets and translate them by their celestial meanings, rather than by their literal meanings by their names, then it could be possible that she could bring back people from the dead because Saturn in the heavens is the planet that rules over death!"

"This goddess must be extremely powerful," said Erza as she crossed her arms over her chest. "But how could he possibly control her?"

"It doesn't say," Levy replied with a frown. "The only thing this book details on is how to free her. I don't think there actually is anyway to control her."

"There has to be someway," said Meldy with a frown. "There's no way magic this powerful would have a release spell without some sort of back up in order to keep it in check."

"She's right," said Jellal. "The Magic Council's most powerful weapons like Etherion had back ups to prevent its misuse, and we did have other spells in order to stop them should they have been. Surely this Anhkseram made some sort of back up plans in order to make sure that she won't be misused."

"Who won't be misused," asked Doranbolt as he came into the guildhall. Thankfully, Jellal and Meldy were far back enough that the other guild members just had to move around them, with Juvia shield Meldy and Erza shielding Jellal. "How do you even misuse a person?"

"What brings the two of you here," asked Master Makarov, stepping away from the group and towards the Magic Council member.

"Suspicious activity," said Doranbolt as he held out the files. "I don't want to believe you guys are doing anything wrong here, but things are suspicious. You've recruited a six-year-old girl with a fake name, evacuated an entire town, and now there's a giant glowing bubble around Magnolia. For some reason, Lahar can't get through it."

"That's because of Layla," said Mavis with a smile as she walked up to Doranbolt, who was surprised to see her.

"I've never met you before," he said with a frown. "Since when have you been a part of Fairy Tail?"

"Wait, you can see her," asked Pantherlily."

"Of course," Doranbolt replied, gesturing to her. "She's right there!"

"He can only see me because I'm allowing him," Mavis said with closed eyes and a smile. "He has the heart of a true member of Fairy Tail. There are others who I allow to see me. It does take a bit of focus when I do though, and it can be very hard to maintain, so generally I don't do it. But this is very important, so I think everyone involved needs to be able to see me, so I'm extending that to both you and the members of Sabertooth here."

"Who is she," Jellal whispered.

"I'll explain everything later," Erza whispered back. "All you need to know right now is she's Fairy Tail's first master and a ghost, so that's the only reason why we can see her."

"That… isn't the weirdest thing we've ever seen," said Meldy with an exasperated smile.

"I am the First Master of Fairy Tail," said Mavis. "I passed away a long time ago, but my spirit stays to protect the guild. You see, this spell around Magnolia is actually a spell of mine that I never completed because I could never find a strong enough caster for it. It's similar to Fairy Bubble, but instead of sealing everyone away for a long time, it merely uses that power to push out those that the caster sees as enemies of Fairy Tail. By having a singular caster, it keeps the problem of stasis from occurring as it did with the Fairy Bubble. This is a spell called Fairy Shield. I never perfected it before I died, but I guess 14 years is a lot of time to finish the spell."

"Mhm," said Layla with a nod as she looked over at Doranbolt. Her eyes filled with recognition as she pointed at him. "That's him! The man who gave me the fake name! Mest Gryder!"

"Me," asked Doranbolt, pointing at himself. "Look kid, I've never even met you before. Besides, Mest Gryder is just a cover name I used to infiltrate Fairy Tail."

"You'll have to excuse her," said Master Makarov. "Her name isn't Maddie Harneel, although we were lead to believe it was. Her real name is Layla Dragneel; she's from 14 years in the future."

"Wait, but wasn't the Eclipse Gate destroyed?"

"We already went over this," Gray said, frowning as he took off his shirt.

"Apparently there's currently another operational one," said Mavis. "I think we should leave it alone though. Unlike when the Eclipse Gate was destroyed to keep the dragons from appearing, the destruction of this Gate could cost Layla her life, as well as other lives of the future."

"This is a lot to take in," said Doranbolt as he looked at her. "Wait, your last name is Dragneel? Then that means…"

"Yep," said Natsu proudly, ruffling the top of Layla's head. "I guess that means she's my daughter in the future!" Lucy's whole face went red again.

"Who's the mom," he asked, looking at Lucy. "Actually, never mind. With hair like that, she's gotta be Lucy's."

"Y-Yeash," Lucy managed to stutter out.

 _"Wait, then,"_  Juvia thought with a bright and happy, yet creepy smile,  _"then that means no more love rival! If Lucy is with Natsu then I cane have my beloved Gray to myself!"_  She stopped for a moment.  _"No, I should wait and find out who I am outside of Gray before thinking about all that. Cana was right about that. I won't be ready for romance until I really know who I am. I'm not the Rain Woman anymore, but I need to forge a new identity for myself."_

"This is gonna be a lot of paperwork," said Doranbolt with a sigh. "Do we really have to deal with time travel AGAIN?! And so soon after the Grand Magic Games?"

"It seems like it," said Cana with a frown. "And that explains why my prediction abilities were so off lately. I guess one or two people traveling back doesn't affect them too much, but a whole guild's worth of people?"

"It would explain why my foresight isn't working properly either," said Carla with a frown. "The man I saw in my vision is most likely Master Pluto. I haven't met the man, but he had faded blue hair, like it had lost color from age, and violet eyes, and he had pitch-black robes that looked like they were made of darkness itself. He also wore his hair to cover one of his eyes, which I found strange." She couldn't help but think about the other aspects of her vision.  _"Something about Natsu and Lucy had looked a little off when I had that vision. Could it be that I saw the versions of them 14 years in the future? I've never seen so far into the future before."_ She looked towards Layla.  _"Then again, since she's here it could make it easier for me to see, even if the rest of my visions are blocked."_

"I'm gonna go then," said Doranbolt. "Any chance I could convince you guys to let Layla come with me? The Magic Council's going to have an interest in her for sure."

"No way in hell," Natsu replied with a smirk. "He's staying right here with her mom and dad!"

"That's what I thought," said Doranbolt with a sigh. "Alright, so then I'll go ahead and fill in Lahar and we'll talk to the council, see what they have to see."

"Bye Mr. Gryder," said Layla with a wave of her hand.

"My name is Doranbolt," he corrected as he walked out the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading out." He turned around before looking at Wendy. "Oh, by the way Wendy, nice to see you again." He gave her a small smile.

"Nice to see you too," she replied honestly with a big smile. "Try not to be so much of a stranger!" He gave a small nod before leaving the guildhall.

"Well, this has been a day full of revelations," said Max. "So what do we do now?"

"Well, this book says that the ceremony can only be performed in the Crescent Mountains," explained Levy, holding up the book. "It has to be performed with a full moon when Draco would be the brightest in the sky. It requires the soul of a Dragon Slayer that gives off light, a Celestial Spirit Wizard's soul, and a child who is the product of the two. That must mean that when Layla's parents were killed that they trapped their souls somehow."

"Thanatos," Natsu growled out. "He uses Soul Reaper Magic." His eyes widened. "That lacrima he used on me… the fire that made me sick…"

"Wait, then," said Happy as he put a paw on his chin, "does that mean you got sick because you ate your own fire?"

"It makes sense," said Sting. "Future self or not, Dragon Slayers can't eat their own magic. It makes us incredibly sick. It doesn't even boost our magic."

"Sting is right," said Rogue. "In fact, if you end up eating too much of your own magic it could kill you. Eating your own magic is dangerous, and possibly even deadly for a Dragon Slayer."

"I knew it didn't work to boost your magic," said Yukino, "but I didn't know it could be that dangerous for you guys."

"Fro didn't either!"

"So then, Thanatos stole the souls of you and me in the future," said Lucy softly, her head down as she thought. "If we can somehow release those souls, then they can't complete the spell! They can't just kill us to get those souls back, they need us alive so Natsu and I-" Her face went red again at the thought, "so uh, so we can uh have Maddie, I mean Layla!"

"That's true," said Juvia. "It'd be foolish to kill you, assuming that Layla is the only child who fits the description needed for the spell. But if they loose the means to complete it and free Serenity, then wouldn't they just kill us all anyway?"

"That does seem possible," said Evergreen. "Anubis, the man we faced, didn't seem to care about the consequences to the timeline by killing us. He just seemed bloodthirsty."

"That doesn't make sense though," said Mira. "I remember Master Pluto saying that they wouldn't kill any of us. Why would Anubis try?"

"Maybe he just doesn't care," offered Bisca. "Some people don't care about the consequences of their actions. They only care about the here and now of it."

"Someone who enjoys killing that much?" Laxus crossed his arms over his chest. "Guys like that make me sick. Whenever we face Underworld Origin again, that Anubis guy is ours. The Thunder Legion will get back at him for what he did."

"I have a score to settle with Josiah," said Gray, pounding his hand into his fist. "He's gonna pay for turning me into his puppet!"

"That pink haired chick is gonna get a real beating when I see her again," said Gajeel, glaring and his knuckles going white from how tight his fist was.

"I want to fight Breeze again too," said Wendy. "She hurt Romeo and me, and now I want to be stronger than her!"

"But how are we going to get rid of the threat," asked Erza. "Our enemies are powerful. The woman I fought was named Vena, and even though she was new to magic she was extremely powerful. Even I had a hard time with her. I can't imagine how hard it was for everyone to fight some of the more experienced opponents."

"Not only that, but Isi's running the organization," said Nab with a frown. "He was an S Class wizard before he left, definitely stronger than Laxus and Mystogan before he left, although nowhere Gildarts's level. Imagine how much stronger he is 14 years from now! Plus he left the guild 9 years ago."

"Yes," said Makarov quietly, looking down with a thoughtful expression.  _"He said his daughter died when she was 14. Ayame was born not long before Hope died, so that'd make her about 9 right now. So then in 5 years, she's going to pass away. How sad. When I first saw her I knew she was weak, but I never imagined this."_

"Well, we found the location of their guildhall," said Alzack, "or I guess their headquarters since they aren't a guild."

"They're all the way out in the Diamond Scale Mountains," said Bisca. "They know we know where they are, but since Isi built the organization, I don't think he's gonna have them move locations. I mean, everything he's done seems to be related to reviving Hope. He wouldn't want to leave the place where she grew up."

"We've been there though," said Alzack, "so we can probably guide everyone there so we can attack them, end this now." He looked at Mira. "I was gonna have Asca stay with my parents since we need to the whole guild in order to attack Underworld Origin, but I see that you. Don't. Have. Asca. With. You."

"Mira," asked Bisca with a dangerous look on her face, "where is our daughter?"

"Oh, her," said Mira with a smile, "she was still sleeping when we left for the guild. She just looked so cute; I couldn't possibly wake her up! She's probably still at our house, sleeping. That sleeping spell Isi put the town under probably kept her asleep."

"Mira, if you weren't so powerful, I'd kill you." Bisca turned and walked out of the guildhall, her hands twitching as she went towards the Strauss household.

"Bisca's protective of our daughter." Alzack smiled as he watched her leave before turning back to the guild. "Anyway, we should work on an attack plan."

"We need to do it soon," said Levy. "We have a three week window before they most likely find some way to go to another place in time. Since they have future Lucy's soul, they might even have her Celestial Spirit Keys. They probably have all the tools they need in order to go to whatever place in time they want to go to."

"That's a scary thought," said Yukino. "But they'd need my Celestial Keys as well. Unless by then I'm…"

"No," said Layla. "You brought me through the gate. You were alive. You just, you stopped being a guild wizard because you wanted to raise your family."

"I have a family in the future," she asked.

"Okay, let's not say anything else," said Lucy. "We don't want to risk the future anymore than we already have!"

"Okay," said Layla, resting her head on Lucy's shoulder. "Mama I'm tired." Lucy's face went red again.

"I-I'm not your mom yet," she said.

"Come on Lucy," said Natsu. "We're the closest thing she has to parents now that her parents have been killed in the future. Besides, she's still living with us."

"I don't see the harm in it," said Happy.

"I-I'm not ready to be a mom," said Lucy. "I'm only 17!"

"It's okay." Layla smiled up at her. "I'll just call you Lucy then! Can we go now?"

"Sure…"

* * *

Surrounded by the members of Underworld Origin, Master Pluto sat upon a gem-encrusted throne, staring down at Anubis, who was on his knees, staring at the ground like he was bowing down to a king.

"You deliberately tried to kill the members of the Thunder Legion," said Master Pluto with a look of anger on his face. "You dare to defy my orders? Did you not care the risk that it would create for our future?"

"Forgive me," he said, terror in his voice. "Please forgive me Master. I shouldn't have done that."

"You beg forgiveness, and yet you tried to kill the Master of Fairy Tail a year before he's supposed to step up and take his grandfather's place?!" He stood up, his face visibly screwed up in anger. "Do you not know what changes this could cause?! Did you not realize that if the guild were to change, then it could put Layla Dragneel's existence at risk?!" He flung his arm across his own hest, making a tendril of darkness whip Anubis. "Did you not stop to think that all our plans would be for naught if this child were to not be born?!"

"I'm sorry," said Anubis, wincing from the pain of the tendril. "I know more than anything that our mission is important."

"If you want to revive your loved ones, then you will not harm any of the members of Fairy Tail like that again." Isi turned away, putting a hand on his throne to open up a hidden door. "Be glad that I am being merciful Anubis, and not punishing you in the same way that I punished Thanatos." He turned back to Anubis, "or should I call you Alexander?"

"Master," said Mors, stepping forward but remaining a cautious distance away from Master Pluto, and speaking the same way, "even you yourself said that we should never use our real names in this time period. There were members of Fairy Tail here earlier. It could be a risk to say them, lest they find and annihilate our past selves."

"I know the guild too well," he replied. "I only say not to use our real names so that the Magic Council doesn't get wind of who we are and eliminate our past selves. Fairy Tail's honor would keep them from doing something like that. Fairy Tail is also not the kind of guild to report to the council, they'll want to handle this themselves. But you are right. I'll refrain from speaking them until we are back in our own time." He went through the door, letting it close behind him.

"You're damn lucky," said Thanatos. "Why'd you do something so stupid?"

"Because I have a burning hatred for the Thunder Legion," said Anubis. "I will  _ **never**_  forgive them for what they did to me!"

"We still must remain cautious," said Mors. "Once the ceremony has been complete, then we can use the power of Serenity to completely annihilate our enemies, and then revive those we loved. Thanatos's husband, my daughter, your friends, we'll get them back. We must be patient."

"I hate being patient," Anubis replied with a growl.

* * *

Lucy closed the door to her room, Natsu and Happy a couple of feet behind her.

"She's asleep," she said, not even looking at Natsu. "She'll probably sleep for a while longer. That Fairy Shield spell must've taken a lot out of her. I think she'll be sleeping on and off for a few days."

"Poor Layla," said Happy as he looked at the door. "You know, she doesn't look like a Layla. She looks like a Maddie to me. Maybe a Nashi."

"Layla was my mother's name." Lucy looked back towards the door. "She looks a lot like her now that I think about it. I guess I didn't see it before, and how could I? She's a little girl after all."

"I think she looks a lot like you," said Natsu with a smile. "She's just as pretty as her mom." Lucy's face went bright red again. She shook her head and pushed past him.

"Well uh, I am uh, I'm, I'm gonna m-make some food!" She marched downstairs towards her kitchen. "K-Keep an eye on her!" She disappeared down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Lucy's acting weirder than normal," Happy noticed as he munched on a fish. "I wonder why."

"I don't know," said Natsu with a frown, crossing his arms. "Normally she's a rock in situations like this. She was so solid when we… when we watched her die. Not her but her future self."

"I remember," said Happy, wiping his eyes. "That was one of the worst days of my life. We didn't loose her exactly, not in the traditional sense, but it felt like we did. Sometimes when I close my eyes, I still see it. I just, I try not to think about it."

"Yeah…" He let his back fall against the wall, looking down the stairs. "That was probably what made me realize just how important she was too me. Knowing that there's even just one future without her. The thought kills me on the inside."

"Does this have to do with what Thanatos said," asked Happy. "Natsu are you really in love with Lucy?" A light blush dusted his cheeks.

"Yeah, so?"

"I think you should talk to her then," said Happy. "I mean, she seems to be really freaking out over something. You're closer to her than anyone. If anyone can help her it's you. Besides,  _you loooove her_!"

"Geez, Lucy's right," said Natsu with an annoyed face, "that really is creepy!" He looked back down the stairs, sighing. "I guess no one else can get it out of her." He pushed himself off the wall and started walking downstairs, finding Lucy in the kitchen, struggling to reach something on the top shelf of one of her cupboards.

"Dammit," she growled out, her fingers just barely brushing against the box of pasta. "How is it that I can get it up there but I can't get it back down?!" Natsu smiled and grabbed it for her from behind.

"Cause you get lazy and toss them up there instead of making room on lower shelves," he answered with a smile as he held the box, Lucy turning and her whole face going red again. "Of course, you haven't worried about it for like three weeks since I've been here. Or is it two?"

"Thank you," she said quickly as she snatched the box for him, heading to the stove where there was a boiling pot of water that she stared intensely at as if it were the most interesting object in the room, "but I don't need help. I can make spaghetti on my own." She opened the box and broke the noodles over the boiling water, letting them fall into the pot.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" He leaned against the table, once again crossing his arms. "You've been acting weird since we found out that Maddie's not just some kid, that she's our kid. You haven't looked my in the eye since."

"I just need, well, I don't know!" She started the stir the pasta a little too fast. "This is so weird! We're supposed to be married and have a kid together in the future? I mean, we're not even dating right now! You've never even asked me out, and the one time I thought you did you just wanted Virgo help you dig some stupid hole!"

"Back then I didn't see you the same way." He pushed himself off the table. "I feel stupid for not realizing it, and it took loosing you not just once, but twice for me to notice! Lucy, you're an integral part of my life. I can't, I won't have a life without you in it." Her face got increasingly redder, stirring even faster.

"Don't I get a say in this," she asked. "I mean, I never really wanted kids! I didn't want to be a guild wizard and a mom you know! It's like my life is being laid out in front of me again like how my dad did!"

"Lucy," he said softly, "no one's gonna make you do anything. Regardless of Maddie being here, I still hold that we decide our own futures."

"Even so, this is just too much! This all feels like it's happen so fast and-" she hissed in pain and let go of the spoon after some of the water flew out and burned her hand. She gently rubbed the spot with a frown. "Damn."

"Let me se that," he said, grabbed her hand and looking at it. "I used to get burns all the time when I first started learning how to use my magic. It doesn't look too bad. Just put a bandage over it and you should be fine." He looked back up at her red face. "Why's your face so red?"

"Because this is weird," she said, yanking her hand away. "This just feels weird! We've never been romantic together! We're like best friends! Why can't we just be like that?! Why does the future have to be us together? Don't I get to pick?!"

"Of course you get to pick," he replied, looking a little hurt. "You should never feel like you have to be with someone, but I don't know if we can just go back to being friends because I can't pretend that's all we are anymore. Lucy I, ever since you joined the guild it's like a whole new chapter of my life. I didn't notice it at first. I'm not gonna lie, at the time it didn't feel much different from any new person joining. We had tons of people joining up. But then once we started going on missions together, and we got closer, I slowly realized how big of a part of my life you were. And for a long time I didn't think of it much beyond being friends." He clenched his fists, shaking in anger as he looked down at the ground. "And then… and then you came back in time to save us and died in the process. You gave up your life for all of ours. And whether or not it was the future you or not, it was still Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail. Seeing her die, it was like a piece of me was dying. You were still alive, but you weren't, and after that I couldn't look at you the same because I realized in that moment just how much you meant to me." He looked back up at her. "I swore that I would protect you and protect your future. I refused to let you die ever again. Not until you'd lived a good, full life. And for a while, living together, with Maddie and Happy here, it felt like we could. And then Thanatos took you." Now he was starting to smoke up a bit. "He hurt you in more ways than I could've ever possibly imagined. It made me so, so damn angry to see you hurt the way you were, to see him holding your very life in his hands. In that moment I realized I didn't want to just be friends with you." He took in a deep breath, letting himself cool down before taking her hands again. "You mean so much to me. I just can't see you as my friend anymore."

"Natsu… I…" Her whole face was red as she looked into his intense hazel eyes. "I honestly don't know what to say. Last time I let myself think, hope even, that something could happen between us it turned out to be nothing. I don't want that to happen again. I'm not stupid enough to let the same thing happen to me twice."

"Is this about that thing with Virgo," he asked. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you like that. But this is real. You mean a lot to me and I want to be with you." He slowly moved closer to her. "Please Lucy, at least consider it."

"I…" She kept staring into his eyes, and could see that he was genuine about what he was saying. Deep down, ever since Mira pointed it out, she couldn't help but notice things about Natsu. He always seemed oblivious to romance though so she'd never said anything to him. Always scared that he'd get the wrong idea. But now she knew, this was real. There was something real and tangible between them. Not only that, but he had said it first. "I… I want to explore this too."

"Really?" His eyes lit up like stars when she said that, and she knew she made the right choice. He pulled her tightly into a hug as she smiled, resting her head against his chest.

"This feels nice… kinda different than any other time we've hugged."

"You two  _loooove_  each other," teased Happy as he floated nearby, munching on a fish.

"Happy," shouted out a startled Lucy, backing up away from Natsu and accidentally burning her hand on the stove. "Ow!"

"Dammit Lucy," said Natsu, "stop burning yourself!"

"It wasn't my fault! It was the cat's!"

* * *

Master Pluto stood in a well-lit room with a bed and a dresser and little else. The dresser was littered with pictures of him and a woman with bright green eyes and brown hair, others with two boys that looked like him but with green eyes, and some of a little girl with the same brown hair and green eyes. He picked up the only picture with all of them, one where the woman was holding a baby in a bundle.

"Hope," he said softly, gently brushing his fingers over her face, "I know you'd hate me for doing this, but it's all for you and Ayame. I'll bring the both of you back, I promise." He put the picture down as something buzzed in his pocket. He pulled out a small lacrima that had the words "THE BOYS" floating above it. He smiled and moved his hair so that his left eye was exposed, showing the scar above it and the lilac pupil that was left behind because of it. His top changed to that of what looked like a gi. He gently tapped the top and two full grown men with long, midnight blue hair like his and green eyes in a rectangle like a screen was projected from the lacrima. They both dressed in similar attire, but one wore blue and had a sapphire pendant with a silver crescent moon, and the other wore red with a golden ruby sun pendant.

"Hey Dad," said the one with the ruby pendant, wearing a big mischievous smile. "You've been gone for a while."

"Well, we're working hard to take care of this Underworld Origin guild," Isi smoothly lied. "I know I said I wouldn't do wizarding work anymore, but they killed my old guild Tomi, understand that. I'm definitely helping the Magic Council take care of them. Besides, it's what your mother would want."

"That's definitely noble of you," started the one with the sapphire pendant, "but when are you coming home Dad?"

"I don't know Taro," he said honestly. "I honestly don't know."

"Well, try and get back safely," said Tomi. "We're heading to Magnolia later today to visit Mom's grave. We were wondering, can we move Ayame's grave to there?"

"I know they never met, but she's mom," explained Taro. "It wouldn't be right to move Mom's grave because she loved Fairy Tail and Ayame wanted to join when she was older, even if you wouldn't let her."

"Ayame died 9 years ago," said Isi with a frown. "Why are you only just now asking about this when I'm on an important mission?"

"Because it's not right, having the headstone in the backyard," said Taro. "It's harder to move on when we see that every day when we go out to work in the field."

"We can't take it anymore Dad. We hate seeing our little sister's grave every day. It makes it harder to move on past this."

"I suppose," he said softly. "Wait until I get back. Then we can move her grave, alright? If we're going to disturb her grave it will be as a family. I do own a few lots by her grave. I wanted to make sure to leave room for the whole family." He gave them a wry smile. "Disturbing, isn't it? I wanted to make sure we all had room to be buried by her."

"Not at all," said Tomi. "We understand. We'll wait for you to get back. Oh, Bessie's calling. She probably needs to be milked!"

"Talk to you some other time!" The image shrank and disappeared. Isi's clothed changed back and he was once again Master Pluto as he covered his eye.

"We will never move her grave," he said softly as he put away the lacrima. "There will be no need for it when she comes out of it." He looked at his hand before clenching it tightly. "The key to bringing them both back is so close at hand. I will turn back and save her."

* * *

At another place, far away from Magnolia rested another Eclipse Gate, identical to the one that Princess Hisui had built to stop Zeref. The gate opened, the shining golden light being shadowed by the figure of a young child who was passing through, holding a scarf that looked like it was made of white dragon scales.


	14. Package From the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fairy Tail, Crime Sorciere, and the few members of Sabertooth ban together to try and work out a plan to try and fight Underworld origin as a young boy looks for his friend.

Layla, Lucy, Happy, and Natsu were all walking towards the guildhall, with Natsu holding Layla's hand tightly.

"Man, it's really cold today for this time of year," said Lucy. Natsu smirked and put his free arm around her shoulders.

"That better?" She blushed a bit but nodded, smiling and putting her hand over his.

"Yeah, it is."

"You two  _looove_  each other," mimicked Layla with a giggle. Happy snickered with her.

"I-I wouldn't go that far! We're only just starting to date!" Lucy's face was getting redder the more she thought about it.  _"Am I really doing this? Dating Natsu of all people?"_

"Happy, Layla, stop teasing," said Natsu. "You do know that sweets and fish are treats, right? We don't have to give them too you."

"No!" Layla had the biggest tears in her eyes. "Don't take away my sweets!"

"Fish are all I eat," whined Happy as he tightly hugged his fish that he was holding.

"That's not healthy even for a cat," Lucy deadpanned as they reached the guildhall. "Seriously, fish don't have everything you need!"

"Of course not," said Happy as he opened the door, "but they're good for you and yummy!" They all walked in to see Alzack, Bisca, Cana, Juvia, and Gildarts all leaning over a map while the rest of the members of Fairy Tail stood around them, as well as Jellal, Meldy, and the members of Sabertooth who had come the previous day.

"What's going on," asked Lucy, frowning in confusion as she walked in, looking around a bit.. "Where's Macao?"

"We're planning out our assault on Underworld Origin," said Erza. "We can't let them get the jump on us again. We have to stop them. As for Macao, he took Romeo and Wendy to Lamia Scale to get their injuries treated by Shelia. From what I was told, they're going to be staying with Lamia Scale until their injuries recover. That's how seriously they were hurt."

"That's awful," said Lucy. "I knew they were in bad shape, but not even Shelia can help them?"

"At least we can start here," said Gildarts, hand on the map. "We've got to figure out what Isi's next move is and stop his dark plans and get him back to his senses."

"Don't forget," said Levy, "our primary target is Thanatos right now, not Isi. If we can get rid of the lacrimas Thanatos has that has the souls of Natsu and Lucy's future selves, then their whole plan falls apart. They need those lacrima to conduct their spell to free Serenity."

"Doesn't mean we aren't gonna decimate them," said Gajeel with a big smirk. "I'm gonna make that Breeze girl regret ever even looking at that damn tree."

"Tree," asked Pantherlily.

"Nothing pal. Just forget it."

"And why are Jellal and Meldy still here," asked Natsu, his face knit in confusion as he pointed at them.

"Well they're clearly a dark organization," said Jellal. "That's what our guild does. We take down dark guilds. Even if they don't call themselves that, that's what they are."

"Not to mention they used Zeref's magic to get to this point in time," Meldy added. "Who knows what other dark spells they're going to use to accomplish their goals. All three kinds of Reaper Magic? Puppeteer Magic? What next? Reaper Magic of every sort was created by Zeref, and they're using it. So is Puppeteer Magic. We have to stop them. We wouldn't be Crime Sorcière if we didn't."

"Okay," said Lucy, "but why is Sabertooth still here?"

"We wanna help," answered Lector.

"You can't have something so huge going on and not expect us to want to join in," said Sting with a smirk. "Besides, you could use us."

"Rufus is currently acting as the stand in guild master until we return," explained Rogue. "We don't have to be back at Sabertooth for a while. We can be gone for a maximum of two months before Rufus is officially instilled as the new guild master."

"This isn't an affair for you to concern yourselves with," said Master Makarov. "I appreciate the concern from all of you, but this is Fairy Tail business. It wouldn't be right to ask you to help us."

"You didn't ask," said Yukino firmly. "This isn't an offer either. We're going to help you fight Underworld Origin. This may seem like a Fairy Tail matter, but someone so powerful like the Goddess Serenity isn't just the matter of one guild. It's a matter for the whole world. We're going to help whether you want us to or not."

"Fro agrees!" Master Makarov gave them a small smile.

"You all remind me of when I was young. The world wasn't in danger as often though, but still, the spirit you all have will carry on for generations and it comforts me. At least, it will if any of your children are as spirited as Layla." He smiled at the little girl, who smiled back at him.

"We were all rowdy," she said with a smile, "at least that's what we were told. Me and Para used to get in a lot of fights, but Amir always stopped us." Her smile became sad. "Amir always kept us in line. He was two years older than me, but he always treated me like I was his equal. I miss him…" Natsu gently rubbed her back with the arm that wasn't around Lucy.

"Hey, it's alright." He ruffled her hair slightly. "We're still here."

"Besides, I'm here," said Asca proudly with a smile, throwing her hand up into the air and going over to Layla. "We can be still friends, can't we Maddie? I know you've got your cool future friends, but I can be your past friend!"

"Of course we're still friends Asca," said Layla with a smile as they grabbed each other's hands, "but my name's Layla, not Maddie! Or you could call me Nashi! That's my middle name and it sounds more like Maddie! Some people called me that, but almost everyone called me Layla."

"I thought she looked like a Nashi," said Happy proudly.

"Then I'll call you Nashi," said Asca with a giggle. "I brought some drawing books! We should draw something together!"

"That sounds like fun!" Layla giggled with her and they ran off to a corner with Asca as they grabbed a box of crayons and started to draw and color. Lucy couldn't help but smile.

"Sometimes she'll act so mature, but then I remember that she's still just a little girl." Erza looked at her too, unsureness on her face still.

"What's wrong," asked Jellal, looking over towards her. She looked towards the rest of the group before motioning her head away from the rest of the group while they talked attack plans so that they could walk out of earshot. "Erza you seem troubled. Don't say you aren't, I'd recognize that look from anywhere."

"It's just," she folded her arms, "I don't know why, but Layla still makes me uneasy. On one side I absolutely want to trust her and I have no doubt in my mind that she's Lucy and Natsu's daughter. I can just feel how similar her magic is to theirs. But then there's just the fact that everyone trusted her just about the moment they saw her. I just, I can't get rid of this feeling that there's something wrong with her." She smiled a bit. "Sad, isn't it? I can't even bring myself to trust a harmless child."

"Any child of Natsu's can't possibly be harmless," he replied with a smile, "but it makes sense that you don't trust her. She has a spell on her, and I recognize it as one of my own. Her eyes have been enchanted so that those who see her eyes trust her. It's a visual based magic, so since you have an artificial eye, its effectiveness is halved. Because of that, partially seeing through it, you get this sense of distrust because of the confliction. Here, try just closing one eye and looking at her." Erza gave him a suspicious look, but she closed her right eye, looking at Layla with her real left one.

"I… feel and overwhelming sense of trust for her and I don't like the way this feels."

"Alright, now look with your fake eye." She closed her real one, switching over to her artificial one. "Now what do you feel?"

"I don't trust her, not quite yet, but she doesn't make me feel quite as uneasy." She opened both her eyes and looked back towards him. "Do you think you could break the spell? It's a little disorienting."

"I could," he said as he smirked, "but this is more fun. Besides, it's a useful spell. And it makes it really hard for someone to cause her any sort of harm. I know that they've claimed they won't harm her because they need her for the spell, but once it's complete, what's to stop them from killing her?"

"No matter how dark he's gone, he's still Isi Kiyoyama," said Erza, frowning and looking down, a little frustrated at the development and complete contradiction of the Isi she knew and this new one. "I know I shouldn't defend him but, he's still an important member of our Fairy Tail family, even if he's done some horrible things. I still can't believe he did any of it, and I honestly don't think I'll be able to until I see him for myself."

"Erza, he killed all of the children in Layla's Fairy Tail," Jellal pointed out, although he didn't seem happy about it. "He might just kill Layla too. He's not the same man you knew. He's been out of Fairy Tail for years at this point, even more so since he left before you were trapped in the Fairy Bubble, and he's from 14 years in the future. That's at least 21 years."

"23," she corrected. "He left right after his wife died, and she died three months after Lisanna was taken to Edolas. From his perspective, he left the guild 23 years ago."

"So much changed in just 7 while you were gone. How much do you think could've happened in 23?"

"You make a good point," she admitted, sighing. "I just, he was such a kind man. I know that Hope's death affected him greatly, but for him to kill members of the guild she once loved so dearly? I can't imagine it. Besides, he was a member of Fairy Tail longer than her. The only reason he left is because he was scared for his children. It's understandable, within the span of three months we'd lost three members."

"Three," he repeated in confusion, "I thought it was just Hope and Lisanna."

"No," she replied, "there were three people who died. There were Lisanna, Hope, and then Manna Natani. That incident was in between the two, I wanna say about a month after Lisanna, but less than a month before Hope."

"Manna Natani," he echoed, "why does that name sound familiar?"

"Because she was an extremely famous wizard in her time," she answered. "She was a Body Spirit wizard."

"That's some pretty dangerous magic. She must've been very powerful."

"She was," Erza confirmed with a nod. "She was even an S Class wizard, far more powerful than Hope. She used to compete with Gildarts, but she could never get the best of him. They had a rivalry of sorts." Meldy looked over towards them.

"Jellal, Erza, wanna actually join in on the conversation, or do you want some alone time," she teased. Both of their faces went red.

"Stop it Meldy," Jellal chided, "we're coming back!" He turned to Erza. "You can tell me more about Manna later."

* * *

On the edge of Magnolia was a young boy, wearing a scaled scarf around his head like a hood. He looked up at the town, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"This looks nothing like the Magnolia I know," he said softly. He went up to someone and gently tapped on her hand, waiting for her to turn and look at him. "Excuse me, but do you know where the Fairy Tail guild hall is? I'm a little lost."

"Fairy Tail," she repeated, "now why would someone so young want to go there?"

"I'm looking for my friend," he replied with a smile. "I missed her and I came all this way to see her! Plus I found something that I knew she'd want! I think she's at Fairy Tail, so can you please point me in the direction of the guildhall?"

"Well it's just down that street," she answered, pointing. "Go down that way for three streets, take a right and go down two, then a left and you're there!"

"Thank you!" He started to walk off.

"Such a nice boy," she said to herself with a smile, "but that scarf he had wrapped around his head looks a lot like Natsu's scarf! I wonder if he's a fan of his! Then again, most of the little boys are."

* * *

Lucy and Natsu sat down at a table, sitting rather close as everyone talked around the guildhall.

"It's good to have a plan," said Lucy, "but I can't help but be nervous. I mean, Mavis set us all up with the best opponents for our magic, but I still think we need some more time to work this out. I mean, I have no idea who my opponent is! I've never heard of the guy before!"

"Eh, I think it'll work out fine!" He smiled at her. "We're gonna take care of them for sure! Besides, I still haven't finished my fight with Thanatos!"

"Well no one really finished their fights," said Lucy. "I mean, from what I heard Maddie, I mean Layla, stopped all of the fights with that spell Mavis made."

"She's pretty powerful," Natsu beamed as he looked towards her while she colored with Asca. "Man, it's still hard to believe that she's my daughter. Future daughter maybe, but still. I was kinda hoping if I did have kids I have a son, but you know what? I'm glad we have Layla in the future."

"About that," said Lucy with a red face, "I don't know but it just feels weird to me."

"What'd ya mean?"

"I mean I never imagined myself as a mother." She sighed. "I just, I know my mom was a good mom. She was always kind and loving, but I, I was raised by my dad. Even though he and I reconnected before he died, I just can't help but remember that for most of my life, he was cold and distant. He left my upbringing to Mrs. Supetto and other people. He never actually cared enough to raise me himself. Those were the parenting tools I was given. What if I'm like that?"

"No way in hell," said Natsu confidently. "Lucy, you'll be an amazing mom. You're so passionate and fierce. Not to mention, you don't seem like the kind of person who'd let other people raise your kid. Besides, your dad had lost his wife." He slipped his hand into hers. "You're always gonna have me." Her face grew red again.

"Y-Yeah!" She tried not to let herself get frazzled by this, but she was still getting used to her and Natsu together.

"They love each other," teased Happy from a distance, standing next to Carla and Pantherlily.

"Well this was a long time coming," she said, "and you don't need any form of predictive abilities to see that."

"I agree," said Pantherlily with a smile before turning towards both Happy and Carla. "I have a question for you two. When Gajeel and I were fighting against Breeze, she almost flung Levy against a tall oak tree in the park. Something snapped when Gajeel saw that, but he won't tell me what happened. Just that he'd never let Levy be against that tree again. Normally, I would wait for him to tell me, but he just got so angry it was almost scary. I was hoping you two might have some insight into this since you've both been in the guild longer than me."

"I'm afraid I don't have a clue," said Carla with a frown. "Frankly, this is the first I'm hearing of it."

"I think I know why Gajeel got angry," Happy answered. "You see, he wasn't always a member of Fairy Tail. He used to be a member of a guild called Phantom Lord."

"I haven't heard of them before now," said Pantherlily with a frown.

"I've heard of them," said Carla. "Not much, but they were almost neck and neck with Fairy Tail as far as being the top guild in Fiore before they attacked Fairy Tail and were disbanded for violating the Magic Council's inter guild conflict clause on their guild charters." Happy nodded.

"That's exactly right Carla. But it wasn't just a fight. They destroyed our guildhall, our home, almost killed everyone in Magnolia. But more than that, Gajeel feels personally responsible for what happened to Team Shadow Gear. Although then again, it was completely his fault."

"What happened," asked Pantherlily cautiously.

"He…" Happy looked down, "he attacked them in the middle of the night. He beat them really badly, and then pinned all of them to the biggest tree in Magnolia, painting the Phantom Lord guild mark on Levy's stomach." He looked over at Levy and Gajeel as they talked, smiles on both of their faces. "She hasn't worn anything that shows her stomach since then. He hasn't forgiven himself for what he did and I don't think he ever will."

"I can't imagine Gajeel ever doing something so vile," said Pantherlily with a hint of disgust, looking at his partner.

"Neither can I," agreed Carla. "It's hard to believe."

"But he's changed a lot since then! He's even taken a lot of hits for Levy and does his best to protect her! Deep down, I think he cares about her a lot, and tries to make up for it by protecting her with everything he has."

"I see." Pantherlily looked towards his partner again. "He's always seemed like a good person. I guess people really can change, bad to good, but good to bad as well."

"He definitely doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd do something so horrible." Carla looked at Levy. "And Levy doesn't seem afraid of him at all. I don't know if I could ever talk to the person who did something that horrible to me."

"Levy's strong," Pantherlily said almost proudly. "She doesn't give up when things get tough. She never lets others take care of her and helps out the best she can. She's pretty amazing."

Suddenly, the doors to the guildhall were thrown open as the young boy walked in.

"Is that," asked Nab quietly.

"Natsu's scarf on his head," finished Vijeeter.

"I'm looking for Layla Dragneel," he announced. "I was told she was gonna be here!"

"Who are you," asked Master Makarov with a frown, "and how do you know about her?" Layla got up in curiosity, recognizing the voice.

"It can't be," she said softly. "It can't be!"

"Layla," said the boy with a bright smile, taking the scarf off his head to show bright blue hair and violet-gray eyes, "it's really you!"

"Amir," she slowly got out, tearing up. She couldn't stop herself from running up to him, throwing her arms around him and sobbing into his shoulder. "Amir, I thought you were dead!" He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey, it's alright," he soothed, rubbing her back, "I'm not dead, I'm right here and I'm okay."

"I'm sorry! It's because of me that your parents were killed! You must hate me now!"

"I could never hate you," he promised as he wiped away her tears. "You're my best friend and you always will be. Why would I have come all this way if I hated you?"

"But how did you survive," she asked, wiping her eyes. "I saw you… I saw everyone-"

"Lamia Scale," he replied. "They're the guild closest to Magnolia and they were one of the first to respond when Fairy Tail was attacked. I almost didn't make it, but Shelia's magic saved my life, and everyone else's."

"Wait, then everyone survived the attack," she asked hopefully.

"No, sorry. I guess I should've phrased it better. But the Strausses are all okay, and so is Para, Silver, Harper, all our friends are okay. There's a few others who survived thanks to Shelia, but we did lose a lot of people. The people who did survive are rebuilding the guild." Layla looked down, visibly disappointed. Amir held her just a little bit tighter to comfort her. "I'm sorry about your parents, but things are gonna be okay Layla, I promise."

"How'd you get here," she asked, looking up at him.

"I begged Miss Yukino to send me." He let go of Layla and started to wrap the scarf around her. "When we were going through the rubble I found this and knew you'd want it. I would've gotten your mom's Gate Keys too but Miss Yukino said she'd hold onto them until you were ready."

"Um, what's going on," asked Max. "Who are you?"

"Oh, sorry," said Amir with a smile as he looked up at everyone, "my name's Amir Fernandez! I'm a member of Fairy Tail from the future!"

"Fernandez?!" The whole guild looked back towards Jellal and Erza, both of whom had gone red.

"Looks like you two get pretty close in the future," Meldy teased with a big smile.

"Oh, so you're my past Mom and Dad," Amir asked, looking up at them. "Wow Mom, you look even scarier now!"

"How many of us have children in the future," Mira asked with a giggle as she looked at Amir and Layla. "First we have Natsu and Lucy's child, now Jellal and Erza's? I wonder if all of Fairy Tail's couples have children!"

"Now they know how we feel," said Lucy with a smug look.

"Come on, finding out about Layla was pretty cool!" Natsu put and arm around her. "Besides, Amir looks older than Layla. Looks like Erza and Jellal got busy before we did!"

"Natsu." Erza's face was red, but her voice had a dangerous tone to it. "I want you to tell me something. Do you enjoy walking with all ten toes? Or would you prefer it if I remove a few for you?"

"No ma'am!" Laughter erupted from the guild.

* * *

Lahar and Doranbolt were in Era, inside of the headquarters of the Magic Council.

"After everything you've told me, I don't understand why you don't want to report it to the Council," said Lahar, annoyed. "This is a serious matter! The Eclipse Gate is forbidden magic created by Zeref! What if word gets out that someone created one?"

"I know," he replied, "but this is more than the Council can handle. I didn't stay to get much, but we know that Layla needs that Eclipse Gate to travel back so she can survive."

"You didn't stay to get any information on who attacked them," Lahar asked in disbelief. "Why Layla Dragneel was sent back in the first place? You didn't bother getting any other information?"

"Not really." Doranbolt shrugged. "I thought the less I knew, the better. This is something Fairy Tail should handle. Besides, what can we do against time traveling threats?"

"We can destroy the Eclipse Gate that Layla came out of," Lahar suggested, throwing his arms out, "or at the very least go investigate it and seal it off so no one else can get through! This is a serious matter! I've never heard of someone using such a serious magic!"

"If we destroy the gate now then she'd have never traveled back and could very well be killed in the future," Doranbolt argued. "Besides, who even knows if you can seal that kind of magic off? It just isn't a viable option here! Things aren't black and white Lahar! You're a full grown adult, stop acting like they are! Does Fairy Tail violate a lot of laws? Hell yeah. But do they save lives? Also yes! Time and time again, Fairy Tail have been the ones to rescue the world, from Grimoire Heart, the Neo Oraciòn Seis, the Infinity Clock, the R System, and so many others! Normally, I would agree that we step in, but this isn't one of those times. This is one of those things we need to let Fairy Tail deal with and stay out of their way." Lahar just started at Doranbolt for a few seconds before frowning.

"This isn't like you to be so gung ho about breaking council laws." He pushed up his glasses. "However, for the time being I will agree with you. If I see even a hint of this going wrong though, then I demand that we immediately report this to the Magic Council. Until then, I suggest we monitor the situation carefully." Doranbolt sighed, a relieved smile on his face.

"Thank you Lahar."

"Don't thank me yet," Lahar warned. "If there's any reason that I think you're going to betray the Council, know that I'm ready to report you too. You're going farther and farther away from us every day and keep being drawn to Fairy Tail. It worries me, but unlike you, I will hold my duty above my personal feelings on what we should do. I will only go against that this once and you had better not make me regret it."

* * *

Jellal and Erza watched Layla and Amir talk with Asca.

"I can't believe we have a child," he said softly.

"Neither can I," Erza agreed. "It's so strange to see. He looks just like you." She smiled softly. "That's a good thing. You were always rather handsome."

"But he has your eyes," Jellal noticed. "He's definitely your son."

"So you're saying he's definitely not the son of your fiancé," she asked with a smirk.

"I don't have a fiancé, what are you," he stopped, realization hitting him in the face like a magic mobile. "Dammit Erza."

"I couldn't resist," she said with a sly smile. "I respect your reasons whatever they may be, but Jellal, you have  _always_  been a  _horrible_  liar."

"I know," he replied with a light blush, "but I didn't think you'd figure it out so easily. Then again, who else is crazy enough to want to be with me?"

"I don't know." She smiled at how kindly Amir treated both Layla and Asca. "He's a kind boy though, I can tell. Reminds me of you when we were young."

"When I was young I enslaved probably a whole town's worth of people," he reminded her.

"Before that," she emphasized, laughing. "Is it impossible for you to say something good about yourself?"

"Possibly," he replied, "but it's nice to see that I can make something good."

"Are you going to try and get to know your son?" She looked towards him. "You're sticking around to help out with Underworld Origin anyway, you may as well take the time to meet your own child."

"It could be dangerous." He looked back towards Amir. "You never know what situations like this could bring. But why did he travel back in time? Just to hand her a scarf?"

"Well they did say they were best friends," she reminded, looking over and Natsu and Lucy. "I can imagine a couple of other people who would do the same thing."

"How old are you," asked Natsu, looking curiously at Amir as he leaned forward, hands on his knees and his head tilted.

"I'm 8," he replied, "So two years older than Layla!"

"And you're Erza's son," said Lucy. "You don't look like it. You definitely look more like your father than anyone else."

"I don't know," said Natsu with a grin as he leaned back, folding his arms over his chest. "He's got a look in his eyes like Erza. That menacing look that reminds you to listen."

"And not do anything stupid," said Warren with a chuckle, "which you seem to forget a lot Natsu."

"Say that to my face you jerk," Natsu shouted, getting up in his chair and glaring at Warren.

"Calm down Natsu," said Laki, "we don't have time for fights right now. We've got a lot of ground we need to cover on what we're going to do about Underworld Origin."

"They're from the future," said Max, "so that makes things even trickier. We can't turn them into the authorities, we can only send them back to their time but I don't even know how. Not to mention what's our move once they've been sent back? Send Layla and Amir too? They don't even have homes to go to anymore. Plus then there's still the issue of it happening in 14 years. How do we prevent it?"

"We could always find Isi and warn him," suggested Nab. "He may be dark in the future but right now in the present he's still our friend."

"That won't work," said Makarov. "We'd have to know where he is, and I don't know if we can find him in three weeks time. Plus what are we going to do, accuse him of things he hasn't done in front of his sons and daughter? No, we deal with future Isi now, and we cross that bridge when we come to it. From what he told me, he didn't start to crack until he lost his daughter and that won't happen for a few more years, so we have plenty of time to stop him from going dark."

"He was such a good man," said Lisanna sadly. "I never expected him of all people to end up like this."

"None of us did," said Mira, putting a hand on Lisanna's shoulder, "but this won't happen, not yet. We can still save him."

"How can you be convinced he's such a good person," asked Juvia. "He hasn't been a part of the guild in 9 years. He might've changed already."

"Because he was an amazing person," Vijeeter replied. "He was always soft spoken and quiet, but very kind. Kind of the opposite of Hope really. She was always brash and loud but she cared about everyone and so did he. Isi never blamed the team that was responsible for Hope's death."

"What do you mean they were responsible," asked Lucy. "I thought that Hope was killed by a demon of Zeref brought to life by a dark guild."

"She was," said Max, "but that dark guild was taken on by a Fairy Tail team. They called themselves Team Rose, but they didn't take down the whole guild. People got away and no one even noticed. Not long after, Team Rose disbanded and left Magnolia, and the guild. At the time, everyone was blaming them. They didn't do their job and it got one of our own members killed."

"That's too harsh," said Lucy with a little disgust. "I'm sure they felt more horrible than anyone at what happened! You can't blame them for someone else's actions! You should know better Max! It's not like they were trying to get Hope killed!"

"Everyone calm down," said Gildarts. "We won't get anywhere getting mad at each other!" Everyone stopped talking after that. "Now I need to be filled in on what happened. I didn't even know Hope was dead until a couple of days ago. Not only is she dead, but so is Manna. Are there any other dead guild members I need to know about?"

"No one else has passed," said Master Makarov, "like Team Rose, any other members you might be missing have merely left the guild. We had as many came as they left after three of our members died."

"About that," said Lucy, "how come I never read about any of that in Sorcerer Weekly or any other press? I think I've heard of Manna but nothing about her death. You're talking about Manna Natani, right? If she died then why didn't I read about it in Sorcerer Weekly? Hope either. I was an avid reader of Sorcerer Weekly for years before I joined Fairy Tail and paid close attention to the Fiary Tail articles. I don't even remember anyone reporting on Lisanna's death, even though that turned out to be wrong."

"Probably because of the privacy laws that the Magic Council passed," said Sting, everyone's heads turning towards the five Sabertooth members. "About 15 years ago Sorcerer Weekly reported on an affair between two members of rival guilds, one of whom was already married to a member of their own guild. All their sources checked out, but the story was still wrong and almost wrecked that couple's marriage and nearly started a guild war. After that, guilds petitioned the Magic Council to ban reporting on their personal lives. This wasn't the first time Sorcerer Weekly had gotten their noses where they shouldn't have, but this was the first time it went so wrong. This Manna died what, nine years ago? By then the privacy laws were already well hammered out and in practice. Of course, the guild master determines what is and isn't considered private affairs and it varies guild to guild. Some are more comfortable sharing about their personal lives than others, so the difference wasn't really noticed." Sting looked towards Master Makarov. "I'm guessing after Griselda's death, you counted reporting on deaths within the guild as private matters and adjusted your agreement with Sorcerer Weekly to cover that?"

"Griselda, the Crystal Wizard," asked Lucy. "I remember her passing away on a job but I don't remember the report having many details. I do remember it happened about 3 years before I joined. It didn't say anything about how she died though."

"Because those damn reporters didn't know how to be respectful and let us grieve," said Gray, clenching his fist. "They kept shoving their damn notebooks in our faces, even at the funeral."

"I'm guessing you changed your privacy policy after that," asked Meldy.

"Of course I did," said Makarov firmly, hands shaking. "The way they kept tormenting my children for details afterwards, it broke my heart. They wanted to know all the details of what happened and battered several of my children who just lost one of their last family members. So yes, I changed our privacy agreement."

"I see," said Lucy. "That's so sad."

"Most guilds adopted a privacy agreement similar to that after that incident," said Rogue. "Sabertooth has one similar to it since we're a high level guild, but thankfully we haven't had any deaths that we've had to hide from the press."

"Phantom Lord had a similar policy," said Juvia with a frown, biting her thumbnail for a moment. "I never realized we adopted the policy based off of Fairy Tail. We only used it once, when one of our members was killed by a dark guild."

"All of this still leads back to Zeref," said Meldy with a frown. "I can't help but feel that somehow it's all connected. A dark guild used a demon from the Book of Zeref to kill one of your guild members, and Zeref's magic was used by her husband to try and bring her back. This is all starting to tie together, but I'm not sure if I want to see the path this takes us down."

"Zeref is always at the center of things," Yukino noted, looking down. "Just once I'd like to be able to forget about him. My family, my guild, the Grand Magic Games, he's all over now."

"Yukino," said Rogue softly, putting a hand on her shoulder, "it's alright. We'll put a stop to this, don't worry." He gave her a gentle smile.

"You have Sabertooth behind you," said Sting.

"And the help of Crime Sorcière," added Meldy. "With the resources of three guilds working together against this organization, we should be able to stop them."

"We have three weeks," said Lucy. "Josiah told me that when he took over Gray. Three weeks and they'll perform the spell. We need to stop them before then, or else they'll go into the wind until the next opportunity they'll have until they can perform the spell once again."

"They'll probably return back to their time," said Levy, looking through the book she had borrowed. "By what I found in this book, they need to perform the spell on the Phoenix Mountains when the constellation of Leo reigns over the sky during the full moon, and the Full Moon has to be in the very center of its cycle in the very middle of Leo's reign and the moonlight has to center perfectly over the mountain. They have to carve a magic circle into the mountain itself, with the key in the center, the star at the top, and the dragon below. I think that means Layla need to be in the center of the circle, while future Lucy's soul is at the top and Future Natsu's soul is at the bottom. The next time the Moon perfectly lines up over the Phoenix Mountains with the middle of the Full Moon, according to celestial calendars, won't happen for about 15 years. So they'll most likely go back to their present and then prepare for a year until they can complete the spell once again."

"If they go into the future again we can't stop them," said Jellal. "We can't travel to the future. It's too dangerous. We already know too much already, and knowing more could disrupt the fabric of time to irreparable degrees."

"So then the question is, how do we get rid of the lacrimas containing mine and Lucy's souls," asked Natsu. "When I fought Thanatos and he put Lucy's soul in a lacrima, he said that if we broke it, then it would've killed her, but that WAS Lucy's soul, so what happens if it breaks?"

"With everything I know about Reaper Magic, it would destroy their souls completely," said Jellal. "If that's what happens then that's what happens, but we should try and find a different solution first so that at the very least Lucy and Natsu's future selves can pass on."

"It's so weird, hearing you guys talk about our future selves like that," Lucy admitted. "I mean, it was one thing when it was my future self and I still had a chance, but this time I'm already dead. It's kinda morbid to think about."

"It's the truth of the situation," said Elfman. "But that doesn't mean the future has to be like that. If we're manly enough we can change it!"

"Maybe we can check the Magic Archive Tower," suggested Amir, everyone turning towards him. "Mrs. Redfox took us to it and showed us how it was the biggest magic archive in all of Ishgar! Maybe if we go there we can find what we're looking for! It's the in the woodsea so it might look different but I've been there enough times with my dad that I know the way there."

"What's the Magic Archive Tower," asked Wakaba. "Ain't nothing I've ever heard of before."

"And you've been around a long time," Laki joked.

"Oh, that might not be the name is has now," Amir remembered. "I think when you guys found it you just called it the Magic Library."

"Oh my God," said Levy with a horrified look, "I completely forgot about the Magic Library! That place has books so old they don't exist anywhere else!"

"Are we going on another trip," asked Gajeel, cracking his knuckles. "If so I am all for it. Where is this Magic Library?"

"In the southern forest," said Erza. "It's not on the map since the forest is so small, but it's enough to keep the library hidden. I think I should go along with Cana, Lucy, and Levy since the four of us have been there before."

"I've been there too and I'd like to go," said Yukino. "I can help with the research, plus as a Celestial Spirit Wizard, maybe I can do something to stop the spell they want to perform."

"I don't know if you can but I'm welcome to your help," said Erza. "I'd take Wendy too, but unfortunately she's in no state to fight."

"I think that's a good idea," said Makarov. "Erza, Cana, Lucy, Levy, I think you should all go to the library. I thank you for your offer Yukino, please watch over my children while you're with them."

"Then I'm going with them Gramps," said Natsu.

"They'll be fine on their own," said Makarov with a glare at Natsu. "Erza is already S Class and Cana and Levy are both at the S Class Level. Lucy and Yukino are talented Celestial Spirit Wizards, and at this point it's not helpful to send too many people. Alright Natsu?"

"But Gramps-"

"Do you doubt my capabilities Natsu," asked Erza, a dangerous glint in her eyes as she glared at a yelping Natsu.

"No ma'am!"

"Then it's settled," said Levy with a smile. "I'm sure we can find something to stop Thanatos. The books in there are so ancient that they might even predate Reaper Magic, so even if we don't find something to stop Thanatos, maybe we can learn more about Serenity and a way to stop the spell like Yukino suggested."

"We're going," said Lector. "Yukino is a Sabertooth Wizard! We go where she goes to protect her! She's our family and we're not letting her go without us!"

"Fro agrees," said Frosch.

"I'll be fine," Yukino insisted. "I can do this with the others."

"I'm worried," said Sting with a frown, crossing his arms over his chest. "I think at least one of us should go with you." He looked towards Rogue. "As the guild master of Sabertooth I order you to go with her Rogue. You too Frosch."

"Got it," said Rogue with a nod.

"And I'm going too," said Meldy, stepping forward and gesturing to herself. "I have experience with Zeref's magic. I practically grew up learning it and I do know a bit about Reaper Magic. I learned all kinds of forbidden magic before I eventually settled on learning Maguilty Sense. I think I can use what I know to help us narrow down the research."

"Well I can't tell you not to," said Master Makarov. "You aren't my wizards. But I will say that I don't want anyone else in Fairy Tail leaving. We now have two children from the future that we need to protect."

"If you don't mind," said Mirajane as she walked up, placing her hands on Amir's shoulders, "Amir and Jellal can both stay us with us at our home since outsiders aren't allowed at Fairy Hills. I'd offer a place for you and your guild members too Sting, but I'm not sure if we can fit five extra people in our house and two cats, but we do have two guest bedrooms so we can try and make it work somehow if you guys want to come stay with us."

"It's alright," said Sting with a smile and a shrug, "I already booked a hotel room."

"Now that I'm thinking of it, where have you two been staying," asked Erza as she turned towards Meldy and Jellal. "Surely you found somewhere to stay."

"We set up camp outside of town and we'll be fine there," said Jellal as he turned to Amir and Mirajane, "but I wouldn't want my son to do that as well and I'd be happy to let him stay with you."

"He took that in way better stride than you did Lucy," Happy teased.

"Shut up you stupid cat," she shouted back. "It was probably easy for him because Natsu and I already went through it first!"

"Can't you stay with us please," Amir begged. "My parents have been gone for months. I know I'm not getting them back since they're gone, but," he clenched his fist, "I've missed them. I've missed them so much. It's been six months since Underworld Origin killed them. I want to see them, and maybe, just maybe we can change the future so that our guild doesn't get wiped out." He looked up at his father, tears in his eyes. "I want to save my family, you and the guild, because that's what makes it Fairy Tail! So please Da- Jellal, please?"

"Now how can you say no to that face," asked Erza with a grin, folding her arms over her chest.

"It's a risk to get too close to someone from the future, even my own son," said Jellal sighing, "but I suppose after all of this is over and we restore everyone to their times, we can deal with it. Just, don't tell me too much about the future."

"I promise not to," said Amir excitedly as he hugged his dad tightly. "Thank you so much!"

"And you can stay with me Meldy," said Juvia with a bright smile. "You can stay in my room! I have a wonderful Gray sleeping bag you can use for the time being!"

"Oh, that's alright," said Meldy awkwardly. "I have my own sleeping bag."

"She can't stay there anyway," said Master Makarov. "It's not that I don't trust you, but simply put, no one other than Fairy Tail members can get into the Fairy Hills dormitory. When the First Master first created the dorms she made sure to cast a spell that only lets in Fairy Tail members."

"I'll be fine," said Meldy. "Besides, we should leave today anyway."

"So then it's settled," said Erza. "At noon we will leave for the Magic Library."


	15. The Eight Who Remained

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amir reveals the truth of why he traveled back, causing Mavis to have to adjust her plans.

**Song Of Hope: I haven't revealed all of my secrets yet! :3 R &R**

The library group was heading towards the Magic Library, with Erza driving the carriage as Rogue hung out the back miserably.

"Didn't realize every Dragon Slayer got motion sickness like this," said Cana after taking a swig of her drink. She put it down and looked at Levy. "So Levy, when have you been here before? You didn't come with us."

"When Wendy told me about it after the dust settled from the Zentopia I just had to see it for myself," she said excitedly. "I got the directions from Erza and went with Jet, Droy, and Lucy. I did some research there after the games, but Lu here was just concerned about the out of print magic stories they had. Funny, I can't believe I didn't remember to check it out."

"It must be a splendid place," said Yukino with a smile.

"I'm excited to see it too," said Meldy with a bright smile. "This place sounds incredible."

"Fro thinks so too," said Frosch, raising up their paw.

"It is," said Lucy. "It's even bigger than the Crocus library."

"That just leaves me concerned that no one else remembered it," said Erza with a frown, whipping the reins. "We should've remembered about the Magic Library, so why did none of us think to check it out?"

"Who knows," said Lucy, "but we didn't. Could be a spell, could be us all derping out, either way we're on our way there now."

"And we should be there soon according to the map," said Cana as she looked at the map. "This is where we went last time. I'm just glad we took a carriage this time. It took forever to walk and we ran into the Jiggle Butt Gang and the Jiggle Jug Gang."

"That sounds awful," said Lucy with a sympathetic smile. "I remember running into the Jiggle Butt Gang on a job, and it was not pleasant."

"Well hopefully we won't have that problem this time," said Meldy. "I have no idea who these people are though, and I hope I never do."

* * *

Mirajane was standing over the stove, stirring a pot full of stew as she added in some spices.

"I hope I made enough," she said as she stirred. "I'm not used to cooking for five people."

"I'm sure it'll taste delicious sis," said Lisanna, sitting at the kitchen table with Elfman. "Besides, you cook for tons at the guildhall all the time!"

"That's for dozens of people though," Mira said with a small smile. "This is just adding two people. It's going to be a bit harder to adjust the portions. With the guild I can just do four times the amount, here I need to be very precise with the additional ingredients since I'm only adjusting it for a couple of extra people. Here, want to taste it?" She held up a small tasting scoop as Lisanna came up to taste it.

"You got it perfect," she said with a bright smile. "I'm sure Amir and Jellal will love it!"

"It's still weird to think about the different kids of Fairy Tail being here," said Elfman as he leaned back in his chair. "I'm not sure where we can go from here."

"At least we know that we have a future of some sort," said Mira. "After all, the last time someone came to warn us it was Lucy and the future seemed pretty grim for all of humanity."

"Layla didn't exactly come to warn us," chuckled Lisanna. "It's really sad, when I think about what happened to her Lucy… and… her Natsu." Lisanna looked down, her smile turning into a sad frown.

"What's wrong Lisanna," asked Mira, turning away from her stew to look at her sister.

"It's just, I knew that Natsu and Lucy had become really close while I was gone but," she turned around, staring straight at the table, "I never thought years of what we had together would be forgotten after just two years of me being gone. Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy for them, I am, but I," she started cheering up, "I always thought it'd be me."

"Oh Lisanna," said Mira, letting go of the stirring spoon and helping her sister stand so she could hug her, Elfman getting up to hug them both as well, "I'm sorry that things turned out this way. But things will get better. It may not be immediate, and it might even take a long time, but you'll heal."

"Besides, you should find yourself a real man," said Elfman. "Natsu's manly, but not manly enough for my little sister."

"Not the time Elfman," Mira replied with an exasperated smile while Lisanna laughed.

 _"You know, I have some pretty awesome siblings,"_  she thought to herself.

* * *

"Amir," said Jellal as his future son was making his bed, "I have to ask you something."

"What is it Dad," he replied, turning around to look at his father.

"Something's been bothering me since you've been here," he said, hands tightly clasped together. "I didn't want to suspect my own future son, and you haven't done anything to make me suspicious at all, and yet I cannot bring myself to think that you would do something like this for such a simple reason, so please answer this honestly. Did you really travel back in time to give Layla her father's scarf, or did you have some ulterior motive," he asked, a serious look on his face. "I know you truly are my son in the future, and I can tell that you care about Layla, but I can't believe my own child would take such a huge risk for such a small thing. You could've just kept it safe in the future, and kept it with you so you could give it back to her when she came back. Instead you brought it to her. That's a huge risk for such a trivial item."

"You're the smartest dad you know," Amir said with a smile as he looked off to the side before looking at his father. "Actually, I only brought the scarf to comfort her due to what I know, but this entire time I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I came to warn everyone, but I didn't want to scare Layla. You see, everyone who came through the Eclipse Gate the first time when Layla escaped through it wasn't everyone. You and the rest of Crime Sorcière gave up their lives keeping as many member of Underworld Origin from going through as possible. You weren't able to keep everyone back, but you were able to keep some of the strongest members back with a spell. Only a few of the elite members managed to break through it, and only because of Master Pluto. You managed to keep him back and the Reaper's Trio, but they managed to get through right before the Eclipse Gate closed. That left 8 members from getting through. They're called the Five Slayers, and the Three Unseelie."

"Five Slayers," repeated Jellal with wide eyes. "Are they all Dragon Slayers? And what are the Three Unseelie?"

"I don't think they're Dragon Slayers but," said Amir, shaking his head, "I don't know what they are exactly. I do know that each of them and the Three Unseelie are responsible for the most kills during the Fairy Tail attack. They were stuck in the future with us, and on run from the Magic Council, but then they…" he looked down, clenching his fists, "they attacked Miss Yukino and tried to get her Gate Keys. The Unseelie almost killed her and her baby and sent her into early labor. Thankfully her old guild and her husband managed to save her, and Shelia from Lamia Scale made sure her and her baby pulled through, and they didn't get her Keys, but I knew they'd try again. There was just enough magic to send me back, but there wasn't enough for me to come back to the same day that Layla came back. So no, I didn't come back to give her her scarf. I came to warn everyone about them. Right now Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Quatro Cerberus, and Blue Pegasus have banded together and have all their strongest wizards protecting her, but I don't know how long they'll be able to stave them off."

"Why didn't you tell everyone in the guildhall," asked Jellal, sitting down on the other bed. "Why tell me alone?"

"Because the Reaper Trio didn't kill her parents," said Amir, his fists shaking. "The person who killed them was one of the Five Slayers. They left them on the brink of death and then let Thanatos turn them into lacrimas. They were both S-Class wizards, there's no way Thanatos could've killed the both of them on his own. He let the Five Slayers take them down and reaped the benefits."

"I see," said Jellal, thinking on what he said. "So, you wanted to protect her and tell the rest of us." Amir nodded, making Jellal smile. "You really care about her don't you?" Amir's head instantly looked back up at his father, shocked at the question.

"Of course I do, she's my best friend!" He looked down again, "but… you think that keeping this from her is the wrong thing to do isn't it?"

"I think that she's going to find out either by facing them or by you telling her," said Jellal. "It's up to you how she finds out."

"You're right," Amir admitted, sitting down on the bed, "but I don't think I can bring myself to tell her that the people who saved her and kept them from coming to this time failed. They may not be here yet, but they can probably charge the Eclipse Gate to come back here with their own magic power."

"And why didn't someone else more powerful come back," asked Jellal. "Why would they send a child?"

"Because everyone else is going to try their best to stop them," Amir said, getting up. "They haven't gotten through the Gate yet. But, now that Fairy Tail's gone, I don't know if we can stop them."

"Who all survived the attack," he asked. "Who do we have protecting Yukino and the Gate?"

"Lisanna, Mirajane, Laxus, Asuka, Cana, and Gildarts. There were others, but they immediately left the guild after the attack. Everyone else was killed." Amir sighed. "Layla and I, we only survived because our parents all sacrificed themselves to save us. None of us were in the guildhall when it happened, we were all outside for the Cherry Blossom festival. We were having our annual bingo tournament when they attacked, practically on the other side of Magnolia. Thankfully none of the citizens of Magnolia were attacked. They didn't care about killing them, just us fairies."

"I see," said Jellal with a solemn nod.  _"That story, it's already different from the one that Layla told us, but he's definitely not lying. She said that they attacked the guildhall directly, while Amir says that they weren't in the guildhall. Did something happen to Hope's spell that's slightly different from what happened in Amir's timeline? Perhaps in the previous one where Layla came from, the members were not aware that her spell was still intact, but after that attack, they became more aware of it. Already the future is changing, but is this for the better or will it make things worse?"_

"They attacked when they knew no one would be at the guildhall, with Hope's spell keeping everyone safe," said Amir. "Because of that, our parents focused on getting us all there."

"I see," said Jellal as he turned towards the door. "It looks like Mirajane is done with dinner. We can talk about this more tomorrow, and I want to fill Meldy in on this when she gets back from her trip."

"Alright."

* * *

Doranbolt was laying down on his bed at his home, trying to sleep but distracted.

"I still can't believe I got Lahar to agree to doing this with me," he said. "And here I was, trying to protect him after the Dragon King Festival incident. I can always wipe his memories about this again, but I can only do that oh so many times before it starts to affect him. This'll be the last time. After that I'll just avoid mentioning anything like this to him." He sat up, turning and looking out the window. "Layla Dragneel, she called me Mest Gryder. Do I go back undercover as a member of Fairy Tail again? Why wouldn't I have just gone and put her in the safety of the Magic Council's custody? What would drive me to think that using the Eclipse Gate again would be a good idea? And why would I use the same undercover name again? That's just sloppy work."

* * *

Amir stood in front of Master Makarov, Master Mavis, Gildarts, Mirajane, Sting, Jellal, and Laxus, looking down after he had told them about the impending threat.

"I see," said Master Makarov thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "This is going to make things much more difficult. How are we supposed to plan for 8 new threats we know nothing about?"

"We're just going to have to go with the plan we already made," said Mavis, "and I'll have to try and adjust our strategy by being there myself and adjusting my calculations as we keep fighting. Hopefully these eight new members won't affect our plans too much, but they might just change everything. It's important to keep this information to ourselves for as long as possible though, which is why we need to keep our circle as small as possible. Amir was smart in keeping it to himself in that respect. We don't know anything about these Five Slayers and the Three Unseelie. Telling them such vague information and telling them they die because of these people is a bad idea. It would only either panic the guild for cause them to jump the gun."

"You mean cause Natsu to jump the gun," corrected Gildarts. "He's the only one who would."

"That's true," chuckled Mavis as she turned to look at Amir. "Thank you for coming this morning and telling us."

"I'm sorry for not saying something sooner," said Amir, "but I didn't want to scare Layla. They're the most dangerous members, and I didn't want her to worry unless they actually joined the battle. I don't know much about them, but I know that the one who killed Natsu and Lucy was a Water Slayer of some sort. The Unseelie have nothing but dark magic. The Five Slayers and the Three Unseelie are incredibly powerful, and I don't know if we can defeat them."

"There's no we here," said Makarov. "We already contacted Master Bob from Blue Pegasus and you're going to be staying at their guildhall, along with a guard from Lamia Scale. Sting is right, this situation is too big to keep from everyone."

"Erza told me and Mira that she had already gotten in contact with Kagura from Mermaid Heel and asked her, Milliana, and Risley personally to protect the two of you," said Laxus. "We're going to inform the other guild masters involved, and as a courtesy we're going to let Master Goldmine of Quatro Cerberus in on what's happening since he's always been pretty cool to Fairy Tail. That's the end of the line though. We're not informing Twilight Ogre of anything, since they're idiots and bullies. Not to mention after Isi's sleep spell lifted, no one who was affected by it remembered anything so there's no real point in informing them. Sabertooth, Mermaid Heel, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and Quatro Cerberus are going to be the only guilds we inform, and they'll pick people to tell."

"I'm guessing that's why you let me in on your secret meeting," he said with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. "Since I'm the new Sabertooth guild master, it would make sense to tell me. You want me to pick my best fighters and let them know."

"Yes," said Makarov with a nod, "but again, you, Yukino, Rogue, and your Exceeds may have involved yourself, but as far as the actual battle itself, this is a Fairy Tail problem. I still think you should go home to your own guild. If you want to assign anyone to the Blue Pegasus protection detail, then I have no problem with that, but I would rather you all go home and not go into battle with us."

"Yukino has it in her head that she owes a debt to Fairy Tail," he explained, "and Rogue found out about his future self killing the future Lucy and feels like he has to make up for his future self's actions."

"How'd he find out about that," asked Jellal, a little confused. "I doubt anyone who was there went around blabbing about it. I only know because Meldy told me."

"No idea," said Sting. "I didn't even know until one night when he had a breakdown. Now that I think about it," he put his hand on his chin, deep in thought, "it was a while ago, maybe four weeks ago. It was the night after he came back from that job with Yukino and Frosch. He had such a breakdown, it took me forever to get him to calm down."

"That's when Layla came to Fairy Tail as Maddie," said Mira. "It's too close together to be a coincidence, but how do they relate?"

"Time is being broken and shattered in many different ways," said Mavis. "Sometimes, these small fragments will land in an odd spot. Eventually, those fragments will return to their proper place, but they'll leave an impression, like a sculpture's fingerprint on clay. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if the Future Rogue's memories found their way into Rogue's mind. They're probably only in bits and pieces, but real enough that Rogue knows they happened. Rogue may have technically never traveled in time anymore, but two time traveling events so close to each other, plus an additional one? I expect more odd memories to invade other people's minds, but everyone remember, these aren't the people you actually are. The situations and circumstances affect who a person becomes, but they aren't you. If you have a memory of someone you know and care about doing something awful, it might not be real. But to be honest, Rogue seems to be the only one affected so far. If anyone else ends up having these kinds of memories, it would probably only be Lucy. As far as I'm aware, she's the only person alive in the present right now who's traveled back in time."

"What about Isi," asked Laxus. "As far as I'm aware, he's still living on a farm with his sons Tomi and Taro and his daughter Ayame. Would he have this overlapping memory problem too?"

"I doubt he'll be affected," said Jellal. "I studied a lot of time magic with Meldy after Ultear passed away, so I'm familiar with it. Rogue and Lucy's future selves both traveled back in time, but they were also both a major part of the events that followed. They were both at the very center of the cracking time, so they would be the first ones to feel its affects. If Lucy hasn't had any memories yet, then she might start experiencing them once these missing members of Underworld Origin try and travel back, if they manage to get back."

"They probably will," said Amir. "The other guilds are strong, but those 8 members alone slaughtered most of Fairy Tail. I just hope no one else dies because of their determination to carry out their goal."

"From what I learned from Mors, they think they're justified," said Mirajane, "and that makes them even more dangerous. They're all banned together by a single cause, the death of their loved ones. Each one of them lost a person that they cared about. Isi banned them together under the promise that all of their loved ones would be brought back from the dead."  
"Just like Ultear," said Jellal. "She could make herself stomach all the horrible things she did because she thought that she'd get a chance at a second life. That spell she cast on me, destroying families, murdering innocent people, she could managed to do anything and everything on the delusion that Zeref's Grand Magic World would let her get a second chance to do things right. If Serenity is as powerful as she seems, if she's even real, then they probably don't care about the harm they're causing because it'll all be undone once Serenity is free."

"Thinking you can fix things with magic is an intoxicating and dangerous," said Laxus. "They have to be stopped."

"We'll have to adjust our attack," said Mavis. "We're going to have to send everyone to the Diamond Scale Mountains first thing once Erza and her groups gets back. I wanted to go into battle closer to the time limit, so that they'd have less time to regroup afterwards and reform their plans, but this just means we'll have to completely crush them. Hopefully we can get there before the next day."

"That means we should send Layla and Amir to Blue Pegasus now," said Mira.

"I don't think Natsu will be happy with that," chuckled Sting. "He's been enjoying the bonding time, especially with Lucy gone he's been doing things like eating ice cream for dinner."

"If he wants to protect her, then he'll have no choice but to send her off," said Gildarts. "Besides, she hasn't even been born yet, and he has to know that eventually, we have to send her and Amir back to their own time."

"You mean back to a place where their families were all slaughtered," asked Mirajane. "We can't do that to them!"

"What else can we do," asked Sting. "If we don't send them back then we might end up erasing their very existence."

"We can go back," said Amir. "Who knows? Maybe when we go back we'll have a different future ahead of us."

"That's possible as well," said Mavis. "Since you're from the future though, your memories of traveling back, and the horrible future will probably fade away as the new future settles."

"But for now we should just focus on getting Layla and Amir to Blue Pegasus," said Jellal. "That's going to be the safest place for them."

"Wendy and Romeo are going to be moved there are well so we can concentrate our protective detail," said Gildarts. "The Lamia Scale guild master said she'll let them stay at their guildhall until they're stable enough to be moved."

"That's all we can ask of them," said Jellal.

* * *

"We're here," said Erza as she pulled the wagon to a stop, getting off and feeding the horses with a smile. "You've done well. Thank you for riding all throughout the night. You deserve a break."

"We've stopped moving," said Rogue loudly as he jumped out of the back of the cart, revitalized now that the cart had stopped.

"I didn't realize Rogue could get so lively," said Lucy with a chuckle as she jumped off the back of the wagon.

"He always gets excited when the vehicles stop moving," said Yukino with a smile, carefully getting out. "This is the liveliest he gets."

"We're going to find it," said Levy as she stared up at the library tower, "a way to free their souls and stop the ceremony."

**Song Of Hope: This took FOREVER to write, but I feel like I'm getting things moving. I'm probably going to wrap up this story arch soon, but it's been a ride! I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story!**


	16. The Blue Pegasus Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Layla and Amir leave for Blue Pegasus ahead of time, settling in to their new surroundings.

**Song Of Hope: I might have a hard time getting later chapters. I'm getting ready to move, but I'm going to try to finish this arch before I do. Please keep enjoying this story! R &R**

Natsu, Happy, Jellal, Amir, and Layla were all at the train station, getting ready to take the two to Blue Pegasis.

"Why are you sending me away," asked Layla, sniffling as the train pulled up. "I don't wanna go to Blue Pegasus, I wanna stay here and fight with everyone! It's my fault this is all happening, I should be there fighting side by side with all of you!"

"Stop it," said Natsu as he got down on his knees and pulled her close as she cried. "It's not your fault that this happened. Stop blaming yourself. You didn't ask for any of this. And I know you wanna help and fight, but all I'm worried about is protecting you. I refuse to let anything happen to you."

"Besides, you'll have that communication lacrima," added Happy. "You can contact us any time. It's just like the one we gave to Lucy."

"Uh huh," said Layla with a nod as she nuzzled into her dad's chest, "but I don't wanna go. I'm scared."

"Blue Pegasus is a strong guild and you'll be protected," said Jellal. "You'll have a Wizard Saint defending you from Lamia Scale as well. You'll be safe."

"Come on Layla," said Amir as he held out his hand, "we're gonna miss the train. It's starting to come to a stop so we can board."

"But I hate trains," she pouted. "They make me feel gross."

"Like father like daughter," chuckled Jellal. "You'll be alright, but we need to hurry."

"Okay," she said, sniffling as she pulled away.

"I'll come right back for you after we defeat them, I promise," said Natsu as he kissed the top of her head. "That's going to be the first thing I do."

"Okay Papa," said Layla with a small nod. "You'll come with Lucy too right?"

"Of course," he said with the trademark grin. "Lucy Happy and I will be there first thing after the battle to bring you back." The train came to a total stop and the doors slid open to show the Trimens.

"Hello Natsu," started Hibiki, "it's been a while. I see you and Lucy have gotten yourselves in another situation."

"Yeah but nothing we can't handle," said Natsu, still grinning. "You guys take good care of my Layla, alright?"

"We'll take good care of her at Blue Pegasus," said Eve as he held out his hand. "Come here Layla, we're going to have lots of fun. There's a really nice playground in town, and we have the comfiest chairs."

"I trust that the three of you aren't the only ones on this train," Jellal said.

"Of course not," said Ren. "Teacher is on here with us, as well as several other Blue Pegasus members, but Master Bob said that we were the least likely to scare little kids at first sight."

"Yeah, I'd rather not let Ichiya anywhere near Layla," said Happy. "He'd make her cry."

"It's time to go," said Hibiki. "The train's getting ready to leave."

"I'm gonna miss you the entire time," sniffled Layla, hugging her father one more time.

"I'm gonna miss you like crazy," said Natsu, holding tightly and picking her up, "but I know the Trimens. They're strong and I trust them with my life. I know they'll protect you."

"I can hold her," said Hibiki as he gently took her from Natsu, who still seemed a little reluctant to let her go. "We've got our own private car with comfy seats and some cool toys. We also put a spell on the car, so you won't suffer from motion sickness once you get there."

"Is there any food," asked Layla, a little nervous. "I eat a lot."

"There's lots of juice and candy," said Eve as he grabbed her suitcase and rolled it in, "and flavored milk."

"Okay," said Layla, looking at her father as Hibiki carried her into the train. Amir walked in with his bag, turning and looking back at his father.

"I'll make sure Layla stays safe," he promised.

"Just make sure you stay safe," said Jellal. "If anything happens, just use your lacrima."

"I will," said Amir with a smile as the door closed.

"They're gone," said Happy, "looking up at Natsu as his grin disappeared, turning into anger.

"I shouldn't have to do this," he growled out. "I shouldn't have to send her away. Future or not she's my daughter and I want to be the one to protect her."

"We can't prepare for battle and protect her and Amir at the same time," said Jellal. "This is the best option."

"We're going to change this," Natsu swore. "I promise Lucy a long time ago that I'd protect her future. Not just 1 year of it, not 7, not 14 either. I'm going to protect her whole future, for the rest of her life until she goes quietly in her sleep, because that's what she deserves. The world owes her that," his fist lit up, "and if it refuses then I'll beat it into submission!"

* * *

"Is this what it's like to ride in a vehicle without motion sickness," Layla asked in wonder, running around gleefully and looking out the windows of the heavily decorated train car. "Amir look, there's birds that are flying as fast as the train!" She waved at the birds.

"Wow they're really fast," said Amir as he came up from behind, watching them. "I like the blue one. Its tail looks like Jet's ponytail."

"After what she's been through I was expecting her to be a little less excited," said Ren as he and the other three Trimens observed her. "More shell shocked, you know? Plus I heard she was pretty mature for her age."

"She may be," said Hibiki, "but she's still a little girl, and some kids just need the chance to be just that, kids."

"Hibiki's right," said Eve. "From what I know she's only six years old. She needs to be able to be a kid. She's too young to be acting responsibly."

"Who wants to play a game," asked Hibiki, his archive terminal appearing. Layla and Amir turned around and saw the terminal and came over quickly. "It's called guess the sound. I play a sound, and you two have to guess it. Whoever gets it first gets a point. By the end of it whoever gets the most points gets first dibs on the treats table!" Eve and Ren gestured dramatically to the rising table, full of sweets.

"Is that strawberry shortcake," asked Amir excitedly.

"Yes it is," Hibiki replied with a smile. "Are you guys ready? My Super Archive magic will be able to tell who answered first." He played a note. "What was that sound?"

"A piano," they both answered, but a red arrow pointed over Layla.

"Aw, no fair," said Amir. "We answered at the same time!"

"My Super Archive can detect differences of a millisecond," Hibiki explained, "so the first point goes to Layla!"

"I'm winning." She cheered. "I'm gonna eat those chocolate covered strawberries!"

* * *

Amir and Layla were happily sitting in their seats, eating their treats.

"I'd never expect this kind of quiet from Natsu's daughter," said Ren. "He's just about the loudest person I've ever met and Lucy's not exactly quiet either."

"Man," echoed a voice in the train car, making Amir and Layla look up from their food, with Amir visibly paling while Layla just looked confused.

"Who's that," she asked. "I've never heard that voice before."

"Ignore that voice," said Amir as he covered her eyes. "You didn't hear anything!"

"What's going on," she asked, trying to take Amir's hands off her eyes. "Come on I can't see anything!"

"That's for the best," he replied as Ichiya came down from the ceiling.

"Sensei, you know what Master Bob said," said Eve. "You have to stay in the other train car until we get to the guild."

"I wanted to see the little darlings man," he said, dramatically posing for them. "I hear that my lovely Erza's son is here, and yet he looks nothing like me!"

"You're not my dad and you're never gonna be you creepy old troll," Amir yelled at him, an annoyed and creeped out glare on his face. "Go away."

"Why is there a troll in here and what does he look like," asked Layla. "Seriously Amir let me see what's going on!"

"Amir's right," said Ren, an air bubble capturing Ichiya. "We respect you and we value your advice Sir, but Master Bob made his orders and they're absolute." Eve opened up the train door and Ren sent him out to the next car as Ichiya shouted "man".

"Seems like he's as lively as ever," said Hibiki.

"You mean as creepy as ever," Amir sighed out, letting go of Layla as the exasperation became evident on his face. "I hoped I wouldn't have to see him again."

"Who was that," she asked. "I've never met him before."

"That's because he's not allowed near the Fairy Tail guildhall anymore after he embarrassed himself," said Amir. "You weren't there when it happened. Thankfully, you were in Acalypha with your parents. It's nothing you need to worry about though, it's between my parents and him. Hey, wanna try a bite of my cake?"

"Yes!" Her eyes sparkled as Amir held up his fork, letting her take a bite. "It's so sweet! I love it!"

"She's easily distracted," chuckled Hibiki. "Reminds me of someone."

"She may look like Lucy," said Ren, "but she's definitely Natsu's daughter."

Layla was holding Hibiki's hand as they walked through the town.

"It's a lot shinier than Magnolia," she noticed, looking around.

"Dahlia Town is well known for its jewelry and gem craftsmanship, was well at its metal work," Hibiki explained. "It's known as Fiore's most elegant town."

"It's one of the reasons Master Bob decided to start Blue Pegasus here," said Eve. "There's a ready supply of materials for guildhall repairs, although our guildhall doesn't get trashed nearly as often as Fairy Tail."

"We don't start fights out of boredom," said Ren.

"That's a little harsh," said Eve with a small smile.

"It's true," said Amir. "They still do it even in our time."

"I'm not surprised," said Hibiki. "I bet everyone's more powerful too. That's got to make things even more chaotic."

"Yeah, when I came back in time Fairy Tail was really tame compared to what I knew," said Layla, "even though I didn't always remember my Fairy Tail when I first got here."

"We're here," said Ren, opening the door. Once they got inside, people set off party poppers, smiling brightly at the two kids.

"Welcome to Blue Pegasus" said everyone in unison. Layla was wide eyed, amazed at all the bright lights.

"This is the first time I've ever been here," she exclaimed. "It's so pretty here!"

"Mom was right when she said this place was really extravagant," said Amir as he looked around. "You guys went all out!"

"You must be the little dears Makarov asked me to take care of," said Master Bob with a smile as he came up to them. He was still in feminine clothes, but they weren't as revealing. "My name is Master Bob. I don't know if you've ever met me but I haven't met you. It's nice to meet you." He held out his hand, letting Layla and Amir shake it.

"Thank you for letting us stay here Master Bob," said Amir. "We'll try and help out as much as we can."

"You two are so sweet," he said, "but you've both been through so much. I don't want either of you to lift a single finger. We'll be taking care of you while you're here. Jenny?" Jenny came up to then, smiling at them.

"We normally don't host people in the guildhall but we've got a wonderful set of rooms set up for you two," she said with a smile. "Right this way!"

"Take my hand," said Amir, holding it out to Layla. "This place is big and you get distracted easily. I don't want you to get lost."

"I don't get distracted easily," she said, pouting at him, but ultimately taking his hand. Jenny chuckled and turned around.

"Follow me." She started walking off, Amir and Layla following closely behind her. Layla seemed distracted by everything she saw, turning and looking at everything. She stopped a couple of times but Amir gave her a gentle tug and she'd start moving with them again. She didn't even notice her slightly open backpack, and a lacrima starting to roll towards the opening.

"Layla stop trying to pet the pegasus statues," Amir chuckled. "They're not real."

"But they're so pretty," said Layla, "and they look so soft! Are you sure they're just statues?"

"They're pretty special, they're magic," said Jenny. "They're called Spirit Guardians. They're not statues, but they look like them when they're not in use. That's Master Bob's magic, Spirit Taming magic."

"What are Spirit Guardians," asked Layla. "Are they like Mama's Celestial Spirits?"

"Kinda," said Jenny, holding a hand up, "but not as complicated. Celestial Spirits form contracts with spirits from another world, so they have to use their magic to open up Gates. Not to mention because those beings are from another world, they have their own lives and can't be summoned at any given time. When you have Spirit Tamer magic, you have natural spirits serve you. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. Spirits are always conscious, but when they're not being used by a Spirit Tamer like Master Bob, then they get to sleep when not being asked to fight. The Spirit Tamer gets protection, and the spirits get rest that they'd otherwise never get."

"That's fascinating," said Amir. "It's incredible magic!"

"It really is," said Layla, jumping up excitedly as the lacrima popped out, no one noticing. "I wanna learn about all magic! Mama said I could be any kind of wizard I wanted to be!"

"If you want I can teach you transformation magic," said Jenny with a bright smile. "You can increase your magic if you know the right spells. You can even learn to copy other people's magic and memories, but magic mimicking is a Level 4 skill, and you can only mimic the magic of people with the same amount of magic power as you."

"Are you that skilled Miss Jenny," asked Amir.

"Yes," she said with a wink and a smile. "Once you reach Level 4 transformation magic, all that's left to do is increase your magic power and you can copy just about anyone. It's far different from copying magic, because that just means you're copying the magic of others. You can't copy their being, but with transformation magic you can. But again, Level 4 is impossible for most wizards. With enough training though, a lot of them can get to Level 3."

"It sounds super complicated," said Layla. "Still, I want to be able to learn!"

* * *

"Hey Natsu," asked Happy as they stood in Lucy's apartment while Natsu dusted some things off, "why are we here? Layla's not here anymore, and Lucy's not here either. Why don't we just go home? It feels empty here without them."

"Because someone's gotta keep the dust from settling," said Natsu. "They'll be back before we know it buddy!"

"They might not be back for a while though," said Happy. "It's just going to feel lonely."

"They've attacked this place when we weren't here before," said Natsu. "Who knows what kind of magic traps they might place here if we don't check the place? Isi's different than her used to be. At least if a trap goes off on me I know that I won't get hurt. Lucy's still recovering, and Layla's only 6. I'm not taking that risk."

"I know Natsu," said Happy, "but we should really go back to our home."

"I'm keeping this place safe," said Natsu stubbornly. "If you wanna go back to our place you're welcome to do it but I'm staying."

"Natsu…"

* * *

"It seems we've gotten here later than I wanted," said Jura, walking up to the Blue Pegasus building at sunset with Lyon, Shelia, and Sherry. "We should've taken the earlier train, this one had too many delays."

"It's better than never arriving," said Lyon. "I'm curious what these two will look like. I never expected something like this to happen."

"I bet they're gonna be adorable and full of love," said Shelia.

"I bet they're gonna be powerful," said Sherry. "After all, they're Natsu and Erza's kids."

"While that's technically accurate," started Jura, "but it's more correct to say that it's Natsu and Lucy's daughter and Erza and Jellal's son. This is going to be chaotic." He started chuckling. "The Magic Council is going to love dealing with this mess."

"If Makarov is a tenth as smart as he seems he'll be hiding it from them," said Lyon.

"That would be the smart thing to do," said Sherry, "especially considering Grand Dorma is looking for an excuse to disband them if the rumors are true."

"Makarov is lucky that the old hag is such a good friend of his," said Jura. "Shelia, when will the others be joining us?"

"They'll be moved here tomorrow by Yuka and Toby," she replied with a smile, "but I'm nervous about that. I should be coming here with them. Wendy is in such a fragile condition right now."

"We do as the Master says," said Lyon. "She's wiser than we are."

"I see you guys are here," said Kagura as she walked up to the group with Risley and Millianna.

"Did you guys miss us," asked Risley with her trademark grin. "Erza asked us to come and take care of her future little guy. What an odd situation, but it's gonna be great."

"It's good to see such strong fighters here," said Lyon, "especially when I won't be present once we actually join the fray."

"You're not staying," asked Kagura.

"Nope," he chuckled, "Sherry and I are going to Fairy Tail after about a week once we can all confirm together that Blue Pegasus is secure. The old hag demanded that we both go. She wants us to make sure that Fairy Tail's mess doesn't trickle down to the rest of us, and with what little we've been told, that an envoy from the future is attacking two future children to control a goddess, it's just too much. I'm sure it's going to be even more chaotic once we get there and get the full picture."

"I wanted to stay and be with Ren," said Sherry with a pout, "but what the old hag wants we do."

"You call your guild master an old hag," asked Kagura in disgust. "We treat Master Izumi with the greatest respect!"

"We did have to tell her we were on a job though," said Millianna with an exasperated smile. "She doesn't really like Fairy Tail that much, especially because Erza is there. She thinks we're gonna leave the guild for Fairy Tail!"

"Which is why we're not letting her know," said Kagura. "Risley and I are going to stay here and Millianna is going to join the main group to fight, and we're going to excuse all of her injuries as just her getting hurt on the job. We told her it was a bandit job with a lot of different groups so hopefully it can cover us for long enough."

"Let's hope we can keep this under wraps from the council," said Jura. "Since our opponent isn't an actual guild though, and they're not even from our time, technically if we go to war with them they can't do anything about it."

"I can't wait to meet Erzie Wurzie's little boy," said Millianna excitedly, wriggling with excitement and clasping her hands. "I bet he looks just like her!"

"What possessed her to be with someone like Jellal," asked Kagura in annoyance. "It makes me angry. I still don't know about what's happened to him in the 14 years in the future where her son comes from, but I can't help but wonder if he did something to her. I know now that technically he wasn't responsible, but I still don't like such a weak willed man who allowed himself to be controlled."

"Jellal," said Millianna quietly, her mind flashing back to the very first and last time she ever met Ultear.

" _How could you ever forgive a monster like him," Millianna screamed at Erza, anger and betrayal evident on her face. "Did you forget he murdered Simon? He has to pay! He's a liar and murderer! I can't forgive that! I'll kill him or die trying!"_

" _I know where the path leads," said Erza, standing to be in front of Jellal defensively, "a dark and empty place. Killing him won't bring back the dead!"_

" _So I just pretend everything's okay," she asked in disgust. "I won't do it! This is wrong!"_

" _Yes I agree," said Ultear, coming up from behind Millianna with a sinister look on her face. "This is wrong."_

" _Ultear, it's you," said Jellal, wondering what his guild mate was planning._

" _You can't blame Jellal for the things he did back then," Ultear informed Millianna. "He wasn't in control."_

" _Wait, who are you," asked Millianna._

" _I'm the girl who was pulling the strings the entire time," she said simply, a proud expression on her face as Millianna gasped._

" _Leave her be Ultear," Erza warned, sword held up a little higher._

" _See, that's the kind of person that I really am," Ultear said, not stopping as her expression grew more sinister as she chuckled to herself. "There's no point in fighting it. No matter how hard I try to play the hero, the truth of it is, I'll always be rotten at the core."_

" _And what makes you say that," asked Jellal, wearing a more wary expression at her words._

" _It's a fact," she stated. "Anyway, now isn't exactly the time for us to stand around chatting." She started to walk off. "This area is still crawling with that mother dragon's offspring. We should split up and wipe them out." She stopped, her back facing Millianna. "And one more thing kitten." She turned only her head towards Millianna. "I alone am to blame for your friend's death. As a matter of fact, I was the architect of the Tower of Heaven." Millianna's eyes widened with not only shock, but intense anger and hatred. "I'll give you a shot at revenge once this is over, so if that's what you want, you'll have to survive."_

_"Ultear,"_  thought Millianna, clenching her fist.  _"Once I see you again, I'll kill you. Erza may say you're a victim, but what you did to Jellal and Simon was unforgivable."_

"I see you're here Sherry," said Ren, standing in front of the Blue Pegasus guildhall. " I heard you were coming."

"Honey," Sherry yelled excitedly as she jumped forward, Ren easily catching her.

"You're so annoying," he said with a small blush on his face, "jumping at me all cute like that."

"Come on in," said Eve, standing behind Ren. "We've been waiting for you. Layla and Amir are at the bar if you guys wanna come meet them."

"The bar," repeated Lyon with a raised eyebrow. "What's wrong with you people?!"

"We're not giving her anything to drink," chuckled Hibiki. "We did give Layla a Shirley Temple though."

"Why are you giving kids alcohol," asked Millianna in disgust.

"Millianna, a Shirley Temple is just one of those new fizzy drinks with grenadine," said Kagura. "She'll be fine. We'd love to meet her and Erza's son."

"This way," said Eve, leading them in to the bar where Layla was sipping at a pink drink.

"Looks like you have a guest dearie," said Master Bob as he cleaned a cup. "or quite a few."

"Hello, my name is Jura," he said, smiling at her as she turned her chair with Amir. "I'm from Lamia Scale."

"Hi Mr. Jura," she said, turning in her chair and waving at him. "Nice to see you again!"

"You know me," he said with a little surprise.

"Of course," said Amir, "you compete in the Grand Magic Games every year. You're pretty awesome! We've met you a few times, but you didn't have as much hair."

"And you're Miss Sherry," said Layla, pointing at Sherry, "and Miss Shelia and Mr. Lyon! You all look really different!"  
"And of course Aunt Millianna and Aunt Kagura," said Amir, "along with Miss Risley! It's so weird seeing you all so much younger!"

"So you're Amir," said Millianna, just staring at him. He looked so much like the Jellal she grew up with, but with kinder eyes. "You look a lot like your father. You even have the same birthmark."

"Yeah," chuckled Amir, "he said it had something to do with a family spell or whatever. He doesn't really remember."

"You have Erza's eyes," noted Kagura. "I bet you're a lot like your mother."

"I try to be like both of them," he replied sheepishly.

"A good thing," said Lyon. "I don't know much about your father but he was once one of the Ten Wizard Saints."

"This is nice and all," said Master Bob, "but these little dearies need to get off to bed. There's been a lot of excitement for them today and I can tell they're tired."

"Then sleep tight," said Shelia. "We'll se you in the morning!"

**Song Of Hope: I wanted to get more things in this chapter, but it was starting to get long. I might include them as bonus scenes in a later chapter, IDK. Hopefully the next chapter will be up quickly!**


	17. The Dark Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The library group finds nothing for an entire week before discovering a dark room in the Magic Library.

**Song Of Hope: If the pacing in this chapter seems weird, originally most of this was going to be in the previous chapter, but I decided to split up the events. R &R**

The library group looked around in exhaustion. They had been there a full week, and yet they hadn't managed to find a single book on Reaper Magic or how to free the lacrimas.

"This library is so huge," Lucy complained, "and I've tried but there's no rhyme nor reason to the setup of this place! It's been a week and we haven't found anything!"

"At least there seems to be different sections on different kinds of magic," said Levy with a smile as she held a book. "I found a great book about writing based enchantments and found some books for me and Freed!"

"Hey, was that there last time," asked Cana as she pointed at a dark colored gate.

"It may have been, but we just didn't reach this part," Erza theorized, requipping a sword in her hand. "Let's check it out."

"Allow me," said Rogue as she stepped forward, opening the door. "My Shadow Magic makes me immune to most dark spells. If there's anything hiding behind this door, or any dark spell on it, then I'll be able to counter it." He slowly opened the door, only to find the biggest collection of books in one room they had seen so far.

"This place is huge," said Levy in awe as she walked in, looking up in wonder.

"These books, they're all on magic Zeref created," said Meldy. "I don't even think Master Hades had such a grand collection. This makes me uneasy. One we're gone, we should probably lock this section away completely so no one can get access to it."

"Not a bad idea," said Rogue. "Who knows what kind of dark magic resurgence could happen if people knew these books existed."

"Fro thinks so too," said Frosch, raising their hand.

"Now's not the time to worry about that," said Erza, letting her sword disappear. "Search this entire sections until we find the books on Reaper Magic. We're not leaving this section for any reason at all until those books are found!"

* * *

"It's been quiet around here," said Wakaba in the guildhall, looking around. It had been a week since the library group had left, and it left things eerily quiet.

"Well what do you expect," said Laki, "Layla's gone, and so is Lucy. Natsu's just not feeling up to being rowdy. They've been gone for a while. He probably won't perk back up until Lucy and Layla get back, or at least until one of them contacts him."

"He does know we can't keep Layla with us right," said Max. "I mean, it'd be nice for him but she's from 14 years in the future. It makes no sense for her to stay with us. He's just going to have to wait until she's actually born."

"This might makes things a bit weird though," said Warren. "What if she isn't born and they have a completely different kid. Natsu might not have the brain power to comprehend something like that happening."

"It's weird," said Gray as he came over. "It feels eerie in here. I'd go over there and start a fight with him but honestly, I'm not even sure if that would work."

"He's separated from his loved ones," said Juvia as she came over towards the gathering group. "Anyone would be sad. It's been a week since Lucy left and a little less than that since Layla left too. Even though they both have lacrimas neither of them has contacted him."

"I get Lucy since she's doing an awful lot of research," said Laki, "but I don't get why Layla hasn't said anything yet. The Trimens said she was fine in their last communication and was having fun with the groups from Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale, but she hasn't contacted him yet."

"Probably just lost the lacrima," chuckled Wakaba. "If she's anything like her dad she probably lost it the moment she stepped foot on the train."

"Or maybe she's having so much fun she forgot to call Natsu," suggested Warren. "If her memory's anything like Natsu's that's probably the most likely scenario. She probably forgot all about her lacrima."

"I still think she lost it," said Wakaba.

"Hey Natsu," said Happy as he reached into the bag on his bag, "I think the communication lacrima is going off!"

"Is it now," he asked apathetically. "Last time you said that it was just your fish timer lacrima."

"I'm sure it's Layla this time," he said as he pulled it out, handing it to Natsu. "See, it isn't my timer lacrima, it's the communication one! Just answer it!" Natsu took the lacrima and tapped the top of it, seeing Layla's smiling face, instantly making Natsu brighter.

"Papa," she said happily, "I'm glad I found you!"

"What did you mean find me," he asked. "Did you loose your lacrima?"

"Yeah it fell out of my backpack and down a hole in the Blue Pegasus guildhall," she replied. "It took forever to find it!"

"Told ya," said Wakaba with a chuckle.

"No wonder I didn't hear from you," said Natsu with a grin. "How are you?"

* * *

"Blue Pegasus is amazing," said Layla excitedly. "They've got the prettiest rooms, and the best food! It's not as good as Fairy Tail but it's a fun place to visit!"

"That's good," said Natsu with a grin, "so where are you right now?"

"I'm in the room they made up for me," she said brightly, showing off the pink and red room full of pillows, fluffy blankets and toys. "It's really warm and comfy in here. Sometimes Mr. Hibiki takes me to the playground with Miss Jenny, and there's a slide, and swings!"

"Sounds awesome," said Natsu. "Maybe we should make one here in Magnolia."

"There wasn't one but maybe when I go back to the future there'll be one," she said with a bright smile. "I hope there is!"

"It'll be the best park you've ever seen!"

"Layla," said Eve, knocking on the door, "it's time for lunch. Hurry up or it'll get cold."

"I gotta go," said Layla, waving at the lacrima. "Mr. Eve is here to get me for the lunch Miss Jenny made, and she make tasty food!"

"Enjoy your meal," said Natsu. "Don't forget to thank Miss Jenny for making you lunch!"

"I won't! Bye Papa!" His face disappeared as she put the lacrima safely on her pillow, running to the door and opening it to see Eve.

"Miss Jenny made you macaroni and cheese with bits of ham in it," said Eve with a smile. "I told her that you really like cheese and ham."

"Ham's my favorite meat," she said excitedly. "Where's Amir?"

"He's already downstairs eating," he replied with a smile. "Are you having fun at Blue Pegasus?"

"This place is a lot of fun," said Layla. "I think I'm gonna have to visit when I go home."

"You mean back to the future, right," asked Eve. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Of course," said Layla with a nod. "Mama and Papa, they're going to be there when I get back because Fairy Tail is going to change the future! They'll be alive when I get there, no doubt about it!"

"You sure inherited Lucy and Natsu's optimism," chuckled Eve. "That's a good thing in any situation."

* * *

"Master Pluto," said Mors as he bowed before his leader, who sat on a throne with a bored expression, "the others are getting restless. We have less than two weeks before we have to go back to the present and do the ceremony a year in our future. Why have we made no attempts on Fairy Tail yet again?"

"There's no point," he replied dismissively. "Jellal and Erza's child has come back in time to meet with the Key. That means that no one destroyed the Gate in the future, which means that we can wait for the Slayers and the Unseelie. After all, though you, Thanatos, and Anubis are all incredibly powerful, the attack on Fairy Tail never would've succeeded without them, and it's becoming clearer to me every moment. Missing them is the reason why our plans failed. The moment they join us, we will attack again."

"I'll trust your decision Master," said Mors, "but the others are getting worried. You made us all a promise Master Pluto. I will stay loyal to you, for at least you gave me hope when the Magic Council denied me that peace and understand my pain more than anyone else here, but I don't know if the others will."

"I'll take your advise into consideration," said Pluto, giving him a dismissive hand wave. "You may leave now." Mors nodded and left. "Hm, this is troublesome. I was hoping to keep them all under control, just long enough to achieve our goals. We may be stained in blood, but our goals are pure and righteous." He pulled out a locket from underneath his shirt, opening it to see the only existing picture of his whole family, with his wife, daughter, and sons. "I will right the wrongs the world has done to me, to you. You'll be in my arms again, soon, and this terrible future I have created will be overwritten by the changes I make in this era."

* * *

Lucy was looking through the shelves, scrutinizing through a part of the shelves.

"This is the Zeref section, but there's books on Celestial Spirit Magic here too," she noted as she pulled one out. "I didn't know there were other applications of it other than the Eclipse Gate and summoning Celestial Spirits."

"Well Zeref did use it in his own magic," said Yukino as she came up from behind Lucy, "but from all existing records, Celestial Spirit Magic is older than Zeref, who's around 400 years old. Maybe he created other, non-lethal applications of Celestial Spirit Magic? Or perhaps whoever organized this library put the Celestial Spirit Magic here because they knew something we didn't. There's a lot of things we just don't know."

"I think I might take this one with me," said Lucy as she grabbed one. "It looks like it might have some nice spells in it that I can use."

"I think I found a book on Reaper Magic," Levy called out from an extending library ladder, looking down at the others as they read their own books. "There's a few up here on Reaper Magic and the different applications. These could be exactly what we're looking for!"

"Good work Levy," Erza called out. "See if you can bring any more down with you!"

"I don't have that much arm room," she said with an exasperated smile. "Maybe you can just come up here and grab some?"

"I can help." Said Rogue as he held out his hand, shadowing magic flowing out from it. " **Shadow Claws.** " The shadows reached up and grabbed the other dark tomes, bringing them down and depositing one book in front of everyone and the rest on a central table. "My shadows can become tangible and used for tasks such as lifting or moving."

"It's really quite useful," said Yukino brightly, thinking of all the times he's helped her out. "Especially when things are too high up, or when you're in trouble."

"Fro thinks so too," said Frosch as they tried opening their book, managing to get the cover open.

"That's a pretty awesome spell," Lucy praised. "Way to go Rogue!"

"Uh, thank you," he said, looking away awkwardly. "We should probably start our research."

"Is it just me or is Rogue kinda awkward around Lucy," asked Cana as she leaned towards Meldy, arm around the awkward feeling girl. "Think maybe he's got the hots and is disappointed that she's taken now?"

"I don't think that's it," said Meldy, looking down.  _"He probably found out about what his future self did to her future self. The whole way here he was wherever Lucy wasn't. I can't say anything though, I don't know who else knows, and if Lucy didn't tell her friends it was probably for a good reason."_

"We finally found the books we're looking for after a week of searching," said Yukino with a bright smile. "Hopefully we can leave soon."

"Well we could always take the books back to the guild," said Levy, "but this way we can send the guild what we learn as soon as possible and prepare while we're on our way back."

"And these books you found look promising," said Lucy as she opened it, putting on her wind reader glasses. "Now that we found them, we can use these glasses and get through the books in a snap!"

"We might even be back in Magnolia by nightfall," said Rogue before what little color he had drained from his face, "back in that death trap."

"Never thought I'd meet anyone who hated vehicles as much as Natsu," said Erza with an amused look as she put on her own glasses. "Come on now, let's get reading everyone." Everyone nodded in unison.

"Right!"

* * *

Lucy looked around, eyes wide in horror at the destruction all around her. The night sky was painted over with red like blood as thousands of dragons started to fill the night sky.

"No, this can't be happening," she whimpered out. "We stopped them." One of them started to get close to her, opening its mouth as the back of its throat started to glow. "We stopped the dragons. Why is this happening?" The dragon roared out, shooting flames at her. She was frozen in place, to terrified to move. "Why won't my legs work?! I need to get up!"

"LUCY," shouted an incoming voice. He jumped in front of her, opening his mouth and sucking in all of the flames before wiping his mouth. "Thanks for the meal."

"Natsu," she uttered softly. "You're here."

"And just in the nick of time too," he said, glaring at the dragons. "Listen here pal, you just messed with the wrong guild. I'm Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail, and I'm a Dragon Slayer! I'm the thing that kills you!"

"Natsu don't," Lucy begged. "Please don't."

" **Fire Dragon Iron Fist,** " he shouted, jumping up and starting to attack the dragons.

"Natsu it's useless," Lucy screamed out, tears streaming down her face. "There's too many of them! They're going to kill you! We have to run!"

"I ain't quitting," he shouted back, jumping up into the sky with a flaming fist, right towards the open mouth of a dragon. "I'm going to protect you, and everyone else, cause I'm a Dragon Slayer from Fairy Tail, and we Fairy Tail wizards don't quit!"

_**"NATSU!"** _

* * *

Lucy's head shot up after she had fallen asleep on her book, everyone turning and staring at her.

"Are you alright Lucy," asked Erza. "You fell asleep. None of us wished to wake you up, but I didn't realize you were having a nightmare."

"It's nothing," she said quickly. "I guess I just have a lot going on right now."

"Seemed like some dream for you to be calling for Natsu like that," Cana teased.

"Leave her alone," Levy chastised. "She's probably just tired. None of us have gotten much sleep in the past week we've been here."

"That's true," Yukino agreed. "I mean, I've barely slept at all." She turned to Rogue, who was sitting next to her. "Have you gotten much sleep?"

"I try to avoid sleeping whenever possible," he replied, not even looking up from his book, "but I did get sleep last night."

 _"It felt more like memories though,"_  she thought to herself.  _"I could actually remember the heat."_  She touched her cheek gently.  _"I could feel the tears running down my face. Was it really a dream?"_

"It is getting close to dark, I think," Erza guessed. "We've been here long enough that the sun has most likely set. We'll all sleep tonight and then resume our search in the morning."

"It's gonna be hard to sleep in here," said Meldy. "The doors may be dark but this is probably one of the brightest rooms. Kind of a contradiction there."

"I can turn off the lights," said Rogue, "but I think someone should go and get our sleeping bags. Sleeping on the floor isn't the best idea."

"You guys can all sleep," said Levy, "but I'm going to keep working."

"Levy you need to sleep," said Lucy. "You've slept the least out of all of us."

"I'll be fine," she promised, waving Lucy off. "I've done more on less sleep. The rest of you guys don't have to stay up with me though. You guys should sleep and someone should go get the sleeping bags."

"I'll go," said Yukino. "I think I can carry them."

"I'll go with you," said Rogue, taking off his glasses and putting them on the table. "It'll be easier with two people. Besides, Sting told me to stick by your side, and I'm not going to ignore that."

"If you think you need to," she replied, "but I could probably carry them on my own."

"It'll be easier with two people," he said, walking towards the door. "Besides, our group is pretty big. There's going to be seven sleeping bags."

"That's true," Yukino admitted, starting to smile. "Thank you for the help Rogue!"

"Fro wants to come help," said Frosch as they jumped down from a chair. "Fro can carry my sleeping bag!"

"You just share mine," Rogue chuckled, opening the door, "but if you want to carry it I won't stop you."

"Okay," they replied, walking out with him and Yukino.

"Now, where was the exit again," asked Yukino with a laugh, reaching to her side for her keys. "Maybe I can use my Spirits to help us. Pyxis would be pretty handy right about now." Rogue gently grabbed her hand.

"You don't need to use magic," he said. "Don't waste magic power. I remember the way back to the entrance."

"Alright," she said, taking her hand away from her keys. "Do you think we're going to get attacked?"

"I don't," he said, "but I've taken to being cautious lately. The magic I've used so far I've already recovered, but you tend to take a while to recover your magic power."

"That's true," she admitted. "Good call."

"Fro thinks to too," said Frosch, raising their paw with a bright smile.

"This way," said Rogue as he rounded a corner.

"So Rogue," said Yukino, hands behind her back and leaning forward a bit, following Rogue, "I've noticed you've been avoiding Lucy. You're always on the other side of the room from her, and you've been staying away from her ever since we got to Magnolia. Did something happen between you two?"

"It's hard to explain," he said, "and I'm not sure I want to. What happened was too horrible to retell. If I told you, you'd never think of me the same."

"You can trust me," Yukino promised. "I won't think any differently of you, no matter what you tell me."

"Are you sure about that," he asked. "It's… not a pretty story. What I did was absolutely horrible."

"I'm sure you had a good reason," said Yukino. "You're a good person Rogue."

"Honestly, in my own eyes, everything I did was completely justified," he said, trying to figure out a way to explain it, "and at the same time I can sort of understand why I did what I did, but that doesn't make it okay. If anything, that makes it worse, because it means I'm capable of it, of making the same mistake again, in the future."

"Are you talking about the you that came from the future," asked Yukino. "You didn't do any of that. He came from one of many possible futures. It seems like in Layla and Amir's future you were pretty good. I mean, they didn't say much, but in that future you didn't travel back in time and try and destroy humanity with dragons. You learned from his actions not to do any of it."

"And yet," he placed a hand over his face, gripping it tightly, "I still remember what he did like they were my own memories and I don't know why. I've been trying to figure it out, but either way, it's like our memories, our beings are merging. What if I become him? What if I kill Lucy?"

"Kill Lucy?" Yukino was clearly taken aback at that. "But she's alive. You couldn't have killed her."

"I didn't in the present," he said, grimacing and looking down as the knuckles on his hand on his face went white, "but my future self did kill her future self. I can remember it as if I did it myself. I killed Lucy, I stripped her of her future in that timeline, and I did it in front of her past self, in front of her loved ones. I did that without any care for the sanctity of life."

"Rogue," said Frosch softly, looking up at their best friend.

"You didn't do anything," said Yukino, gently taking the hand off his face, holding it with both of hers. "You didn't kill Lucy, and she clearly doesn't hold anything against you." She gave him a smile. "Besides, that future is gone. You know better. Just knowing what could happen can keep you from doing the wrong thing and keep you on the right path. You learned what his mistakes were, so now you know what steps to take to not make them. Learn from them, grow, and keep being the amazing person you already are, okay?" She gave him a comforting smile.

"Uh," he couldn't help but blush a little bit at that, but thankfully it was dark enough that it was hard to notice, "thanks Yukino."

"Now," she dropped his hand, "which way were we going again?"

* * *

Everyone was sleeping on the floor, all except Levy, who was still reading through the piles of books with a small lowlight lacrima floating above her, dim enough to let everyone else sleep, but bright enough that she could still see without straining her eyes. Her eyes had dark bags under them, but she refused to let herself admit that she was tired, not when she knew she was close.

"There's gotta be something here," she muttered to herself, writing notes as she read through the books. "There's always a way to break the spell. Even if their bodies are dead, there's no way that it's completely impossible for the lacrimas to be reverted back into souls. I just wish it was more plainly written in here. It only talks about how to cast the spells and their uses. This magic is absolutely disgusting. There's even spells on how to cannibalize people's souls for maximum power boosts. I don't understand how anyone can use magic so dark and twisted. But maybe the way to beat it has been written in code. If I can just figure it out. The words origin, cycle, unbound, and demise come up a lot, so maybe they're important? It's really only in the Soul Reaping books, not much in the Judgment or the Power books." She gasped, realizing the pattern. "Those four words all have two letters that are shared, i, c, u, and e! Maybe if I tally all the sentences in all the volumes of the Soul Reaper books, and only look at those sentences, I might be able to figure out the way to free the souls in the lacrimas!" She grabbed only those volumes and started reading them, writing them down all on a few pages. "All those books condensed down to just 12 pages? Then again my handwriting on paper is much smaller than the print on these books. It's like Zeref wanted the books to seem like there was more to learn about this magic than there really is. Anyone would get intimidated at learning magic that took so many volumes of study to master." She smiled brightly. "That's it! I just have to treat this code like it's longer than it really is! I just need to spread out the words!" The communication lacrima started going off, making Levy grumble. "Dang, and I was getting really close." She answered it quickly so that no one else would wake up, just to see Gajeel's face in it. "Gajeel, what are you doing awake?"

"Making sure you get some sleep Shrimp," he replied. "You had the worst habit of staying up too late when we were at Crocus. Like seriously, you'd take a pile of books as high as me back to the hotel and you'd stay up reading them."

"I'll just catch up on sleep once we get back," she said, waving her hand at him. "I've done it before."

"First Master said our plans have changed." He smirked, looking a little too eager. "Said she'll tell us when you guys get back, but I get the feeling we won't be staying long once you do, which means you need to be well rested or else you'll be in the way."

"Then I'll sleep on the way back," she argued. "Really, I'm fine!"

"You look ready to pass out from where I'm standing," he pointed out. "You ain't gonna be use to anybody if you don't get some shut eye. You're gonna get yourself hurt and if I have to come there and tie you to a sleeping bag I will."

"Geez, when did you get so concerned about my sleeping habits," she asked, a little annoyed.

"Since I noticed they sucked ass," he replied, smirking at her. "Sleep tight Shrimp."

"I'm not a Shrimp," she yelled back as he disappeared before covering her mouth. "Crap, everyone else is still asleep." She uncovered her mouth, looking down at her work as a yawn slipped out. "He's right though. If we're going into battle as soon as we get back, then I guess I can finish my work in the morning." She grabbed the floating lacrima, turning it off as she took off her glasses. "I'm close though, so once I wake up it shouldn't take long." She crawled into her sleeping bag, not even bothering to let her hair down, quickly passing out.

* * *

"Hey," shouted Natsu as he kicked open the guildhall door, "who's idea was it to go to my place and draw mustaches on our pictures?!"

"Why the hell would any of us break into your place and draw silly faces on your stuff Salamander," asked Gajeel. "The hell kind of logic is that?"

"Sounds like a guilty party," Happy proclaimed with a grin. "I bet he's the one who did it Natsu!"

"I check up on my place and you took advantage of me looking after Lucy's place as an excuse to mess up mine," growled out Natsu, pushing up his one sleeve as he made a fist. "You ready to get the sense beaten out of you?!"

"It's get sense beaten into you flame for brains," said Gray, dropping his shirt next to him without even noticing.

"Wanna dance with me you snowflake," yelled Natsu, glaring at him.

"Any time any day pal," shouted Gray back as he put his fist and palm together. The three started brawling, objects flying around everywhere.

"Really, this is ridiculous," said Freed. "You need to be more well behaved, we have a plan that we're-" he stopped the moment a chair hit his face, his eye twitching. His hand was quickly on the hilt of his rapier. "This is war with the Thunder Legion!"

"Go at em babies," yelled out Bixlow.

"What is this nonsense," groaned Master Makarov. Gildarts was on one side, laughing at the scene while Mavis was looking on with a small smile. Makarov held up his hand as it grew. "Guess I have to separate them."

"Let them fight," said Master Mavis. "Fairy Tail has always been like this. A good fight between friends is going to be a good way to help them relieve stress. Can't you see, they're all worried about whether or not they'll be able to succeed, and that's without them knowing about the 8 members who were left in the future. This though, this will help them clear their heads, and remind them they're strong. And even after their fight, they know their friends have their back. They need this Makarov."

"Why do I get the feeling you had something to do what happened with Natsu," asked Gildarts.

"Just because I'm a ghost doesn't mean my illusion magic doesn't work," she giggled. "It's how I can let others outside the guild see me."

"Fairy Tail's first master over there seems a little too happy," said Lector as he and Sting watched from another side of the guildhall. "I get the feeling she had something to do with this."

"She's just a ghost Lector," reasoned Sting. "How could she draw on pictures?"

* * *

Rogue was the first one to wake up, picking up Frosch and cradling him in one arm as the other was lifted up to brighten the room back up. Everyone short of Levy started to wake up once the room became brighter, yawning and rubbing their eyes.

"I wanna take a nice hot bath when I get home," Lucy yawned out as she stretched. "I feel gross."

"What's all this," asked Meldy, curiously picking up a piece of paper from the pile Levy had left.

"Must be what Levy was working on last night," Erza theorized as she requipped from her nightclothes into her regular armor. "She seems to have gotten a lot done while the rest of us were asleep. She deserves the rest."

"She's a real hard worker," Yukino noted.

"This kind of stuff  _is_  Levy's specialty," said Cana, looking down at the exhausted wizard. "She tends to keep going until she makes a breakthrough." She looked back at the rest of the group, crossing her arms over her chest. "I say we let the poor girl sleep and get something eat. She can finish her work when she gets up, because I doubt any of us are going to understand whatever she's written."

"Yeah, it's hard to understand," said Lucy as she looked through the papers, "even for me."

"Me too," said Meldy, looking at the pages but being careful to make sure that she didn't mess them up. "I can tell that she was onto something though. She's reading the Soul books like a code, but her handwriting is so shaky I can't tell how far she got."

"Come on everyone," said Erza, "let's go to the cart and eat. By the time we get back, Levy will hopefully be awake and be able to tell us what she was getting at. Hopefully it gets solved today, after this we only have enough food for two more meals."

* * *

Levy woke up with a yawn, stretching before rubbing her eyes. Her headband had come out of her hair, falling around her neck and letting her messy hair fall in her face.

"Morning," she said, rubbing the sleep away before realizing no one was there. "Where did everyone go?" She stood up, noticing a note on top of her research notes.

_We went to eat, we'll be back soon_

_\- Lucy_

Levy smiled and put the note down, running her fingers through her hair real quick before pulling up her bangs and putting her glasses back on.

"Alright, time to get serious," she said as she started reading through her work. "Now, where did I leave off?"

* * *

The group sat one the ground by the carriage as Lucy made food from what they had, making some bread, dried meat, and fruits into a delicious breakfast.

"I must say Lucy, I never knew you could cook," said Erza. "Why didn't you help us out when we had to cook those monsters?"

"Because I don't have the strength you guys do," she said with a nervous laugh. "You think me and my spirits could've done anything? Back then I only had three battle spirits, and one of them I couldn't have possibly summoned. Now I have a lot of powerful spirits, but back then? I would've just gotten in the way."

"That's not true at all," said Erza with a small smile, drinking from a canteen. "You've always been strong Lucy. You may not have had the most magic power or battle skills, but you've always had a strong, unrelenting heart."

"Erza's right," said Yukino. "I may not have known you seven years ago but you're incredibly strong! Now you have your heart, and your power, plus you fight alongside your spirits. I've seen you do it, and it's something that's rare to see with Celestial Spirit Wizards."

"Our Lucy's the best," Cana bragged. "Other guilds wished they had a wizards as awesome as Lucy."

"Stop," she said with a smile and a small blush, "and by stop I mean keep going, this feels really nice." Everyone laughed at that.

"I wonder how Levy's doing," Erza wondered out loud.

"Probably still sleeping," said Rogue. "She was up late studying the text. I woke up when she yelled "I'm not a shrimp" and realized she was still working on the text. Thankfully, she went to bed soon after that and I managed to fall back asleep."

"Only person who would call her that is Gajeel," said Cana, "but why would he contact her in the middle of the night?"

"Are they particularly close," asked Meldy.

"I wouldn't say that," Cana replied, "but he's been with her a lot, especially since the S Class trials. I wouldn't go so far as to say they're inseparable, but they've definitely been a lot closer because of that."

"He's been doing his best to look out for her," said Erza. "He's always felt like he needed to. It's probably a reason why he offered his help to her instead of someone else for the S Class trials, although he would never admit it. True, he mainly just wanted to fight Natsu and Gray, but he could've asked anyone to be his partner at that time since most of the candidates didn't have partners at the time, such as Juvia who he was in Phantom Lord with."

"What happened between them," asked Meldy. "Does it have something to do with the Phantom Lord attack?"

"It was a long time ago," said Rogue, "and I'm sure it's a sin that Gajeel would rather forget. Let's talk about something else."

"Good idea," said Lucy, handing out plates of food. "Breakfast is served! And don't expect me to do the dishes, I cooked."

"I'll do them," said Yukino. "Thank you for the meal."

"No problem," Lucy said with a smile as she settled herself between Cana and Erza. "I made a plate for Levy too for when she wakes up and comes to meet us."

"Are we sure she isn't gonna get lost in there or distracted on her way back," asked Cana. "You know Levy, books are her life."

"That's true," said Erza. "Why don't you take it back to her Lucy?"

"After we eat," she said, sitting down with her own plate. "It'll be just fine for that long, and I haven't eaten in a while. By the time I'm done eating so will everyone else be."

"True." Erza frowned.  _"I haven't gotten any updates in a week about what's going on. Either we're incredibly peaceful right now for a guild at war and we have no updates, or something's gone wrong. Gajeel may have called us last night, but since Levy was the only one awake we don't know what else might have happened between them or anything bad that might've happened with the guild. I was told not to contact first so we don't reveal our location or what we're doing in case we've been attacked again while we're gone, but I'm still worried. Hopefully we get contacted soon."_

"It's been quiet from Fairy Tail," noted Meldy. "I bet someone lost the lacrima."

"Or Natsu broke it," said Cana with a chuckle. "That sounds like something he'd do."

"Maybe there's just nothing to report," said Yukino. "We should be happy about that."

"Let's hope so," said Erza, taking a thoughtful bite of food. After a bit they all finished off their plates. Lucy picked up Levy's, grabbing a fork and carrying it back with them to the room where Levy was standing over her working, gasping.

"Hey Levy," said Lucy, curious, "did you find something?"

"I finally found the spell to release the souls," she said excitedly, "but it's incredibly complicated. We have everything we need, but it needs you and Natsu! Once we cast this spell, they'll lose their lacrimas and they won't be able to cast the spell!"

"That's wonderful," said Erza with a smile. "Good job Levy. You can fill us in when we get back. For now, you need to eat and rest. You still look exhausted."

"Let me gather my notes," she said as she gathered them up before using her magic. " **Suture!** " The words turned into thread that bound the notes together. "There. We have to protect these. That was some seriously complicated code, this has all of the hidden secrets from the Soul Reaper books. We can stop him from casting the spell on anyone else now too." She yawned, hand in front of her mouth. "I hope it's coherent."

"That doesn't matter," said Yukino. "You did well, get some rest."

* * *

Erza stood at the entrance of the guildhall with the rest of the group, eye twitching at the sight. Everyone was still fighting, even though the sun was starting to set.

"I guess we can't leave them alone for five minutes," chuckled Lucy, already exasperated.

"Your guild is quite… lively," said Yukino, trying to find a way to frame the situation nicely.

"Why am I not surprised that this is what we came back to," asked Meldy.

"Why did you get involved Sting," asked Rogue as he stared in slight horror as his guild master, who wasn't paying attention to him at all, battled with the rest of Fairy Tail. Natsu's face lit up in the middle of the fight, turning towards the entrance.

"I smell Lucy," he said right as he was hit over the head with a chair, immediately turning and glaring at Gajeel. "Hey,. Don't sucker hit me right when my girlfriend gets back you big jerk!"

"Pay attention to your damn opponents Salamander you dumbass!"

"This is why we had lacrima silence from the guild," Erza struggled out, trying to contain her anger. "Was everybody too busy fighting while we were gone to tell us anything?!"

"It's not surprising," said Cana as she took a swig from a brown bottle. "What else do we expect from Fairy Tail?"

Erza's face got more and more scrunched up in anger, eyebrows twitching in annoyance as the noisiness built up before she pulled out her war hammer and knocked people to the walls of the guildhall.

" ** _ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE_** ," she screamed out. "We have an important mission and we're not going to sacrifice everything we've worked for just because you can't stay calm!"

"You didn't have to hit us so hard Erza," Natsu whined, rubbing his now sore head as he sat cross-legged.

"Seriously," agreed Gray. "None of us used any magic so it's not like we used up any magic power."

"Welcome back," said Laki as she walked past the now aching Fairy Tail members. "Did you find anything?"

"You're one person short," noticed Jellal, who had decided to not get involved in the fighting.

"Where's Levy," asked Gajeel, rubbing his now hurting head.

"She's back at Fairy Hills sleeping soundly," said Lucy, "so don't worry about her. Since it's almost night time we thought we'd let her sleep and explain everything in the morning, since she's the one who figured it all out." She looked around. "Where's Layla, and where's Amir?" Natsu looked down at that, practically pouting.

"We had to change our plans," said Happy. "Layla and Amir are at Blue Pegasus right now, with a few members from Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel."

"Oh…" Lucy looked down, "I see. I bet Layla's having tons of fun with everyone!"

"Why weren't we updated about this," asked Erza, a pointed glare shot towards Master Makarov.

"That was my idea," said Master Mavis. "We don't know the kinds of magic that the other members might have, we only saw their fighting capabilities. There are non fighting based magics like my own, which is for illusions."

"Not to mention dark guilds have been trying to work on spells that can let them see the lacrima communications of other people," added Jellal. "In 14 years these spells could easily exist. I talk to Master Mavis and we agreed that it was only necessary to contact you with an update if we absolutely had to. This was something that could wait."

"Now that we have the spell, we're going into battle first thing tomorrow morning," said Master Makarov. "Everyone get home. Get some rest. We will all reconvene here tomorrow morning."

**Song Of Hope: YEAH BOIIIII! The series really can't go much further than this, so as we come to a close, I hope you guys keep enjoying the story. The next chapter isn't going to be the battle, just FYI, but a long conversation between Natsu, Lucy, and Happy first. R &R**

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I put a lot of stuff into this. This isn't a one story arch story. There'll be a lot of them, spanning over a few chapters each, some may even be up to ten or fifteen. Sorry about that. Well, review!


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